The Seers
by Marrabelle
Summary: Revised Cullen Family Story! Silver & Devan are not average twin girls. Their psychic abilities lead them to seek out a long, lost family member. They're shocked to find that their relative hasn't changed much in 100 years.CXEs,RXEm,AXJ,E,Seth,&2OCs *FIN*
1. Silver

**Disclaimer for the entire story:**

I do not own any of Stephanie Meyer's characters. She is the genius behind all of it! Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn references may be used, but I do not take credit for any of it!

**Here is the scoop:**

*It is two new characters so you have to get to know them a bit before it gets down to business!

*You have to stick it out for a few chapters to get to the Cullens! And later on…Edward will have a bigger part. I promise. :)

*Original parings for the most part. And I try to keep them all of Stephanie Meyers' characters in character as much as possible. Although, I am not her so don't judge me! :P

*There will be werewolves too…just be patient!

*Romance and Danger…and some fluff! Hehe.

*Oh! The chapters alternate POV's! All odd chapters are in Silver's POV, all even chapters are in Devan's POV!

*They start out young….but not to fear, they age swiftly and romance will bloom in places it should not bloom! ;)

*Please give it a chance. :)

I hope I have not given too much away! ;)

**Summary: **

Silver and Devan are not your average girls. They have very interesting talents that lead them to seek out their long lost family member. They are shocked to find that their relative has not changed much in 100 years.

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Chapter 1 - Silver

Silver's POV:

We were finally making progress. The visions were becoming clearer now so we were having an easier time figuring out our next move. My sister was not very good at interpreting her visions. She had spent years suppressing her so-called skill. She only caught glimpses of things on occasion now. And not always when she planned to. Still, it was a useful skill to have.

My skill was useful too. It only took a matter or seconds and I could learn so much about someone. I could see into their past and get an idea of their character with one quick glance. The only problem was that my talent wasn't always reliable either. Sometimes when I wanted to see something, I couldn't make it happen. It was like getting a block. I was getting a lot better at deciphering what I saw now. It was harder for Devan, but the future was not always as easy to read as the past.

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My name is Silver Marie Dawson. I am 12 years old. I grew up in Australia until I was 6, and then my parents moved my sister and me to London, England so we could be closer to my ailing grandmother. My parents died in a skiing accident a few years ago. My grandmother was good to keep us, but she was not as accepting of our 'talents' and she sent Devan and me to therapist after therapist until we lied and agreed that we had made it all up. I got used to pretending I was normal.

I think Devan had a harder time suppressing her visions. If she saw something bad about to happen to someone, she wanted to help. I got that. But it was not safe to get caught and have to explain how we knew the future. We stuck together though. That was what being twin sisters is all about.

My grandmother knew, deep down, that we were different. It scared her. I did some prying and found out that my grandmother's sister had been sent to an asylum back at the beginning of the 20th century. Grandmother had only been a small child and her sister a teen, but bringing up the topic of her sister made my grandmother visibly upset.

Devan discovered a box of old photographs in the attic and stolen a few of grandmother and her older sister. On the back of one it read, 'Mary Alice and Cynthia Lynn, 1910'. My grandmother was a baby and Mary Alice was about 10. She was tiny, like me and in the fog of the old photo it almost looked like me too. I shuttered at the coincidence. Devan noticed the resemblance as well. She figures that is another reason grandmother doesn't like us very much. We remind her of her sister. The other picture was a portrait of Mary Alice. It was dated '1914'. It was the oldest picture of her I could find. She had black hair and light eyes. It was hard to tell. The photograph was in black and white. I decided to ask for more details.

My grandmother was getting so forgetful and the dementia was getting worse. She was more willing to share stories from her past so long as I choose the right time to ask. One evening she shared with Devan and me that Mary Alice had been placed in the Asylum for seeing visions of the future. I tried to remain calm. It was too close for comfort. Devan gulped at the word asylum too. When I asked about her now, grandmother shrugged and said wistfully, "No one knows…she vanished in 1918,"

'_What?'_ I thought. How does someone just vanish? Devan's facial expression showed her shock. Grandmother was tired and waved us off. That was the last time we spoke to her. In the middle of the night she passed away at the age of 99. No one was surprised. To live to that age is an accomplishment and we all knew it would have to happen sometime. I was sad, but my grandmother had been unhappy for years so it was easier to say goodbye to her than my parents. The thought of them brought back tears.

That night I had such vivid dreams. They were of Mary Alice. She looked just as she had in the photos. And when I woke, Devan was already sitting up in bed and shared with me her dreams. They were of Mary Alice as well. Only it was set in more present times. I thought it was kind of strange that we were both dreaming of our Great Aunt, but I shrugged it off. Devan accepted my explanation that it was just a dream, not a vision.

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The week prior to my grandmother's funeral was dreary. Arrangements were being made for us to stay with some cousin's we had never met. Devan's visions grew more clear and closer together. She was seeing glimpses of Mary Alice a lot more often now. And that was strange, because she was dead. I was the one who saw moments from the past. And even stranger was that both Devan and my talent worked best if we knew the person we were seeing or they were nearby.

Then Devan came to me with one of her drawings. It was a road sign. A road sign for the town, Forks. After a bit of research we learned it was a town in the USA. And for some reason, the more we looked into it, the more I was certain we were meant to go there. Devan needed more proof before she let me lead her astray.

Then, the night before my grandmother's funeral, Devan woke me. She had such a clear vision of the two of us getting out of a yellow #64 cabby in the forest town of Forks. My mind was made up! She agreed to my plan. That was always how it was. She saw the future, but I made the future plans.

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So, now we were on the run. We had taken off the night after the funeral. Devan wasn't sure, but she couldn't see anyone following us. The Police had our picture out and they had already searched many parts of London for us. However, they would not find us there. We were on a flight to the USA. We had been once before on a trip to Disneyland. So, lucky for us we had passports already. We had gotten away just in time. I was pretty sure the airport in London had our picture by now.

We were lucky that we had our visions. I was able to dodge a few people that I could see had sketchy pasts and Devan could tell if they were about to question us about traveling alone. When we got to Los Angeles, I persuaded Devan to help win us some money. She went and picked up the one ticket she knew we would need. Not too much of a win that the store wouldn't have the money on hand, but enough that we could use it for a while. I took the ticket from her and worked on cashing the ticket.

"Excuse me, sir?" I asked politely. The scruffy man looked at me with a scowl. I hoped he was as down on his luck as I had seen. Or this wouldn't work.

"Ya?" He answered rudely. Devan stayed quiet behind me.

"Well…I need a bit of help and I thought you might be willing to--"

"Look here…I don't have any money if that is what you are after,"

"No sir, actually…I was wondering if you would do me a favor. I have won some money on a scratch ticket and I am too young to cash it," I told him. His eyes grew wide and I knew I had his attention, "If you cash it for me I would be willing to split it 50/50 with you,"

"You are lying,"

"No, sir. I am not. Please, I really need the money and I would be very grateful for your help,"

"No lies?" he questioned as I held up the ticket. He was not a bad man. I could see that. He had lost his job a few months ago and was having a hard time giving up alcohol. I tried not to judge him.

"No, sir. All you need is photo ID and to answer this skill question and sign for it,"

"Uh," he thought out loud. I looked at the skill question to give him the answer. It was kind all over the place.

"The answer is 57," Devan piped up. She was the brainy one, no doubt. However, with more time I could have come to the answer too.

"What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"I guess so…" He said, but he hesitated a little. I gave him the ticket and trusted he would do as I asked. Devan knew what I was thinking and she nodded. I guess she could see this working out. That made me relax a bit. He went into the store and 15 minutes later he returned with a wad of cash.

"Thank you sir," I gleamed. I handed him 1000 dollars. He looked at it with pure shock and a bit of guilt. I shoved mine into my shoulder bag and thanked him again. I started to walk away.

"Hey, kid?"

"Ya?" I responded and turned my head.

"You ok?"

"Yes, Sir. We are going to be just fine. Have a nice day," I said with a smile and Devan and I took off.

Devan was hungry so we made our way to the nearest mall to get something to eat and to buy some new clothing. We hadn't brought much with us. All we had was the clothing on our backs and each a bag with some essentials in it. My shoulder bag held my sketchbook, a toothbrush, wallet, passport, my favorite blood red nail polish, lip-gloss, and my mp3 player and charger. Devan had the exact same items minus the make up.

Devan was not into the shopping like I was. I really enjoyed dressing up and putting outfits together. Devan dressed in what was comfortable and subtle. She hated sticking out in a crowd. I didn't mind so much. I knew we were never going to be like everyone else so I cheerfully went on with my life. Devan was quiet. She kept to herself a lot. Even though we got on each other's nerves sometimes because of our different personalities, we were best friends. I was so glad not to be alone on this journey. She felt the same way, I am sure.

After eating and changing into our new clothing we got a bus ticket to Seattle. I knew it would be a long trip, so I bought some granola bars and an apple for the road. We got lucky and sat next to an older lady who didn't ask questions. She fell asleep as soon as we left Los Angeles. The batteries died on my mp3 player after a few hours and I was so bored. I looked over at Devan to see if I could steal her player. She was busy drawing so I snuck it out of her bag. I continued to draw in my sketchbook.

The things I had been seeing most were mostly of Mary Alice so I drew a portrait of how I saw her. I was not a great artist, but since I had not been allowed to share my visions with anyone in the last few years I had taken to drawing them out. Devan had always liked to draw and she had been sketching her visions of the future for a lot longer than I had been drawing. She was very good. When she wasn't looking I snuck a peek at her sketchbook.

There were a few of Mary Alice. I frowned as I noticed how much more detailed and precise her drawings were. It made mine looked like a cartoon almost. The last drawing was of a house. It was a beautiful, white house with a long driveway and trees surrounding it on every side.

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**Next chapter is from Devan's POV. Please read on to get to the Cullen Family Story! :D**


	2. Devan

Chapter 2 – Devan

Devan's POV:

The bus ride was tiring. I had a hard time sleeping. With no mp3 player, because Silver stole it at the last pit stop, I was bored to tears. I heard every other person's grunt, burp, and other not so pleasant noises. I curled up next to the window and stared out. It was getting darker and gloomier as we grew closer to Washington. It turned to nightfall and it began to spit rain.

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My name is Devan Mai Dawson. I hated the rain. It was too wet. I was not like my sister. She was pretty much content wherever she was. She was the happy one. The one who walked with a spring in her step. Which one did that make me? Since we were twins most people would believe I was the unhappy one. But that wasn't so. I was happy…most of the time. I just liked to keep my cards a little closer to my chest. And as for the way I walked. I was lucky to watch my step. I don't know how Silver walked in heals so effortlessly when I couldn't keep from tripping over nothing in my flats.

Silver was my best friend. I told her almost everything. I was so grateful to have someone who understood me. Well, understood me more than anyone else. She was bit on the selfish side sometimes and forgot that I was not always as enthusiastic about things as she was. It didn't matter. We accepted each other and we were a team.

That is why I was going along with her on this trip. She felt it was necessary and I had agreed because we didn't have any close family left in England. We were alone in the world now. But we were never really alone as long as we were together. That thought made me feel better about our annoying 'seer skills'! We completed each other.

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We made another pit stop and this time I took advantage of it. I used the restroom and then bought a bottle of water and a fruit bar. Silver was munching on her apple when I got back to my seat. We made sure to return before our seat partner and pretended to be asleep when she returned to avoid questions. We knew we stood out because we were a couple of kids traveling alone. I just hoped that the other bus passengers thought that the older lady was accompanying us. So far so good…no one seemed to suspect us of anything.

When the lady next to us fell asleep again I turned to Silver and said, "Well…so far was have been doing really well,"

"Yes. Good work on the lotto ticket. I meant to compliment you earlier," she whispered back. I nodded. It was a miracle that I was able to pick out the right one. I was lousy at bringing on my visions voluntarily. I was amazed how well they were coming to me now when we needed them.

"Thanks,"

"So…anything new?" she asked. Her hair was still so nicely braided into a nice up style. I don't know why she bothered, but she was always so spiffy. Her outfit from the mall in LA was at least a few years ahead of her age. She had got a flowing silk skirt in light yellow that was just above her knees and matching tank top with sequins on the neckline. She bought a long sleeved, mid-length sweater in a color so close to maize yellow of the skirt that most people would not know it was a color of yellow called, golden poppy. Silver liked to dress up. She bought all the accessories too. Nearly knee high boots in white with sunglasses to match. She also bought flower earrings, a bracelet. I talked her out of the purse. Her outfit was far more expensive than the jeans and hoodie combo I had went with.

**(Check out the twin's outfits. The links are posted on my Profile!)**

"No, nothing much," I answered her. Just the house I had seen. But that didn't seem too important. Silver stared at me like she knew what I was thinking.

"You sure? Cause' I kind of saw you drawing it,"

"What? Oh! The house?"

"Yes, the house, duh! What do you think it means?"

"Probably nothing," I blew it off. Silver raised her one eyebrow and looked unimpressed.

"Oh gee…you can be so dense sometimes,"

"Hey!" I took insult.

"You know what I mean,"

"You just called me dense…it seemed clear to me what you meant," I shot back. I wasn't really annoyed, but I was a bit cranky from lack of sleep and her constant optimism was a bit annoying at the best of times.

"I just meant…that you always belittle things. You wouldn't have seen the house if it didn't have something to do with the future. Our future,"

"Fine," I gave in, "Then to answer your question, No, I do not know what its significance is,"

"Hmmm…perhaps that is were we need to go," Silver exclaimed a bit above a whisper.

"Shhh!"

"That is where we will go. To that house! We need to find the house!" Silver whispered excitedly in my face. I am sure I didn't need to sigh, my face gave my feelings away, but I sighed anyway. There was no use arguing with Silver when she was on a roll.

"Oh, relax…it is a good plan," she said sitting back in her chair. I sat back in mine too.

"Only because we have no other plan!"

"True enough!" she giggled.

"And give me back my mp3 player, you thief!" I told her. Her mouth opened to argue, but it turned into a smile.

"Oh, fine! Here it is!"

"It better still work! It is not my fault you didn't fully charge yours before we left. Don't waste my battery!"

"Get some sleep, Miss Grump," Silver said calmly. I made a face in her direction. She didn't seem to mind.

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We arrived in Seattle in the early morning. I woke Silver up. I was glad she was able to get some sleep. She followed me off the bus and then took me by the hand and dragged me around the corner. I stumbled all the way. She continued to pull me until we were out of sight of the bus station.

"What the?"

"We have to find somewhere safe to go so we can figure out our next move,"

"It is too early. No place is open," I pointed out. A thought came to me. "I wonder if there is a Walmart nearby?"

"Yikes! Whatever for?" Silver said, her nose literally sticking up in the air a bit. Even though we were identical, we looked so different because of our personalities were so far from each other.

I nudged her and explained, "They are open 24 hours a day in America. I read it in a magazine,"

"Oh, then it is okay," She decided.

"Come on…you go ask that security guard," I encouraged.

She didn't need to be pushed. She was the more outgoing one and she liked it that way. I stayed back a bit and watched him point and smile as they conversed. She skipped back with a grin on her face and then said, "It is not far from here. We can take a cab,"

She hailed a cab and we took off. The driver was a bit suspicious, but Silver lied well. She told him we were meeting our friends there for a surprise party.

"Surprise?" he asked.

"Ya…it will be a surprise at this hour!" Silver laughed. She was too confident at lying. It made me smile though. He didn't pry anymore and dropped us off in the parking lot.

We made our way inside and we were both surprised at the number of people doing their shopping at 5am! Silver was in a hurry to move on. I couldn't blame her. The harsh, white lighting was giving me a headache.

"So, come on, Madam Devan, what does the future have in store for us?" She teased. I hated how much she enjoyed our seeing abilities. I thought it was a pain in the butt! I hadn't seen anything new since the white house in the woods. Silver pulled me through the food isles and picked up a few things for the next bit of the trip. At the check out she asked me again.

"No! I have not seen anything!"

"You certainly have your grump on!"

"Well, I am grumpy. And tired. And hungry. And it doesn't help with you badgering me to see things. It doesn't work that way,"

"But it can. I am getting better at seeing what I want to see when I want to see it. It just takes practice," she patronized.

"Whatever,"

"Well…we know we have to find this Forks place, so no problem. You have time," she softened her tone. I picked up a map from the stand and threw it in with our food.

"Good thinking, Dev!"

"Ya, right…" I responded with zero enthusiasm. How did I let her talk me into this? We were kids. We had no family. What were we doing? Were we going to just run around like this forever? That did not sound fun to me. I think Silver was enjoying this adventure more than I was.

"Cheer up. We will find a place to clean up. And once you eat something you will feel better," she said and then she dealt with the cashier and I bagged our purchase.

*

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Three hours later, and some food in me, I did feel better. The daylight helped a lot too. Even though it was cloudy and wet, the light was always better than dark. Silver was just as perky as ever. She had touched up her hair in the Walmart restroom. It amazed me how having her hair done and her lip-gloss on made her feel complete.

She offered her lip-gloss to me, but I turned her down. It wouldn't help. My black hair was down and a mess. Silver wanted to do it up for me, but I just threw it up in a ponytail. She looked disappointed that I didn't want to look like her. She had always liked the identical twin game. When we were younger we used to dress the same and she used to get a real kick out of people not being able to tell us apart. To this day we were hard to tell apart when we both wore our hair down. It was about the same length and we were the same height and weight pretty much. She seemed taller because of the shoes she liked to wear.

The morning was here now and more people walking around so we felt it was safe to walk down the sidewalks of Seattle. I had figured out that the best way to get to Fork was to catch a Ferry Boat to Bremerton and then we could bus or cab it to Port Angeles. We would be fairly close to Forks if we made it that far today. Silver agreed with my plan. So we made our way to the Ferry Terminal.

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**Please read on to get to the Cullen Family Story! :D**


	3. Traveling

Chapter 3 – Traveling

Silver's POV:

The Ferry Boat to Bremerton was right on schedule. Devan had planned out our trip to Forks. She figured that by the time we got to Bremerton and then got a ride to Port Angeles it would be evening again and we could stay in a motel for the night. I insisted I call ahead and make reservations. I used my grandmother's credit card number hoping it hadn't been canceled yet and no one would be checking its activity. It was a risky call, but I went for it.

It was very breezy on the deck of the Ferry. As much as I wanted to check out the view, the wind was too chilly for what I was wearing and it was messing my hair. I couldn't have that! I found a few seats inside and saved them for us. Devan went and bought us some lunch and some snacks for after the boat trip. It was going to be a few more hours. Devan returned and we ate. She was very tired so I was glad when she fell asleep. I made sure not to wake her until we were about to arrive at the docks.

"What? Are we there?" she mumbled incoherently as she slide halfway out of her seat. I laughed slightly as the sight of her disarray. She gathered herself together. The other passengers were moving around a lot and heading back to their vehicles so she figured it out on her own. "Whoa," she said, "I can't believe I was able to sleep,"

"It was good. You were looking kind of gross there for a while," I teased. She shot me a glare. She knew I was teasing. She said it annoyed her when I made fun of her, but she liked it. That is what having a sister is for. Making fun of her was part of the deal.

"So…we have everything, right?" she said with a sigh. I nodded and tossed her shoulder bag in her direction. She stood and straightened out her clothing.

"Yup! And fix your hair too…it is growing more wild with every new mode of transportation we take!" I told her. She detangled the hair elastic from her hair and retied it back into a ponytail. I knew she liked to be more casual and didn't like to muss over herself, but I wish she'd make more of an effort. I missed the days when we dressed the same and people got all confused over who was who. That was fun!

"I think we should cab it again," Devan suggested. A bus would be cheaper, but I knew where she was going with this. It would be easier to lie to one person than to a bus full. We still had plenty of money left from the lotto ticket win. And I was sure that if we needed more, we would find a way.

"Ya, good plan," I agreed. We walked off the boat and hurried through the terminal to the street. I found an empty cab and got the driver's attention. He didn't want to take us all the way to Port Angeles. It was too far a fare for him. He suggested we go by bus.

"I don't like buses," Devan moped. The driver said he would take us to the bus station, no charge. It was very nice of him. We thanked him for the ride when we got to the buses and I handed him a 20 dollar bill for his help.

"That was a little much, paying for the fare would have been a lot less. Even with a tip included," Devan said as we walked away from the cab.

"I know…but he was a nice man," I told her. She still didn't understand. I explained my reasoning by saying; "His son wants new hockey gear for his birthday. He and his wife are struggling to save for all of it. He could have charged us, but he was being kind. I thought I would return the favor,"

"That was nice of you," she told me with a smile. She was all mushy about it.

"Well, let's not cry about it now, come on," I said and pulled her along to the ticket line.

"Two tickets to Port Angeles, please," I said. The lady at the counter did a double take on me. Devan stood awkwardly beside me. The lady took our money and handed me the tickets. "The bus is loading now, you'd better hurry," she said.

"Thank you, very much,"

"Have a good trip,"

*

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*

We couldn't believe our luck. The bus to Port Angeles was the next one to leave the station and we made it on just in time. We took our seats and off we went. I fell asleep this time. When I woke up Devan was drawing something in her sketchbook. I was half asleep still, but I could make out a building with a parking lot and some trees. It looked like a school. I sat myself up and leaned into Devan.

"Hey, Dev….whatcha drawin'?" I sang.

"It is a school," she told me softly.

"Ya?"

"In Forks,"

"Mmmmhmmm…I can see that. Why?"

"I don't know why,"

"Hmmm…we shall go there…that is why!" I declared cheerfully. If her pencil had brakes you would have heard a loud screech. She kept the pencil touching the paper, but slowing turned her face to mine. She scowled at me. I flashed her a toothy grin in return.

"I am not amused," she said flatly. I laughed and replied, "I amuse myself!" and she rolled her eyes right back onto her drawing and proceeded to ignore me for the next bit of the trip. I snuck her mp3 player out of her bag and put the earphones in my ears and pressed play. That will teach her to ignore me! _'Cue evil laugh'_ I thought in my head. I giggled a bit to myself.

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When we arrived in Port Angeles it was still light out. I really wanted to go shopping for new outfits, but Devan was not up for it. She agreed that we would go the next morning. I pouted slightly, but when she didn't budge on the matter I perked up and gave up the topic. Devan read the road signs and navigated us to the motel we had booked.

We made it to our motel and checked in.

"You need an adult to sign in," the hostess told me at the front desk.

"My grandmother is not well, she is sitting in the car. We are going for dinner before we turn in and it is too much for her to walk here and back," I explained.

"If it is her credit card, then she needs to be here,"

"That is her right there," I pointed. The older lady in the car outside the lobby waved at us. Devan stood beside the lady waving at me as well. Thank goodness Devan had managed to get her to wave.

"That is your grandmother?" the hostess asked.

"Yes…and my sister. Can I please have the door key to give to her?" I asked sweetly.

"Allright, but she will need to sign when you check out," the hostess agreed. I nodded and took the key.

"Thank you!"

"Enjoy your stay," she called as I headed out the doors to the car outside. I went up to the car window and smiled. The older lady smiled and said, "Oh good, you found each other. You should be more careful, dear. Your sister was worried,"

"Thank you, Madam,"

"Thanks for your help finding her," Devan said. The old lady seemed pretty pleased for finding someone who wasn't really lost. I looked back at the hostess to make sure she had seen us talking to the older woman. She was watching. As soon as she was busy with another guest, I grabbed Devan and pulled her aside, waving good-bye to the lady in the car.

"Good work!" I praised Devan.

"I hate doing this stuff,"

"You did great! The hostess totally bought it and we are in!" I exclaimed, holding up the room key. Devan heaved a sigh.

"That had better be a sigh of relief, not a sigh of grief!" I teased. She smiled slightly.

"Let's go to our room. I want a shower," she demanded.

"Sure! Then, let's order room service!"

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The motel was great. We both showered and freshened up. We ate a nice warm meal and watched the television until we fell asleep. It was like a slumber party! In the morning I got up early to get ready. I hated to wear the same outfit two days in a row, but I had no choice. Once I was all ready I woke Devan and got her up. We had planned to get away early before we got caught. I left the money for the room on the table with a note that simply read, 'Dear Front Desk, Sorry…the card won't work…here is cash. Thank you,' and Devan and I took off out the side doors.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" I shouted. Deven jumped at the volume of my voice.

"Whoa…what the heck?"

"Look!"

"At what?"

"Right there!" I pointed to a cab parked right down at the end of the street we were walking on. She strained her eyes to see. I was too impatient.

"64! Like in your vision! Come on!" I screamed and took her by the hand. She stumbled along behind me as I dragged her to the cab. I had really wanted to go shopping before we took off to Forks, but I wanted to catch that cab even more! That was a first. Shopping was usually first priority to me.

"Yeesh, hold up. There is no rush. If it is meant to be, it will be, won't it?"

"What if I was meant to rush? What if I don't hurry you up and we don't catch the cab and it changes the future?" I asked of her.

"You think too much…I am not always right, remember? So what if it changes? Whoopie-doo!" she said sarcastically.

"Just get in,"

"Fine,"

"Can you take us to Forks, please?" I told the driver. He didn't seem too thrilled with two young girls in his car.

"Forks is a good hour away, the fare is $150," he told us, "100 for the trip there, and 50 for my empty cab coming back,"

"That is fine, I will pay you half now," I said, giving him $75 to prove we had the money, "and the other half when we arrive in Forks,"

"Allright, then," he agreed and started up the engine. Devan sat back in her seat, searching in her bag. 'Oh crap! I still had her mp3 player' She soon realized I was watching her with a guilty expression and I pulled put her player and held it palm up in my hand.

"You suck, you know that!"

"I don't suck!"

"You suck a lot!"

"I am sorry. I forgot to charge mine again!"

"You could just ask,"

"You were too busy ignoring me," I reminded her. She was about to say something back to me, but she noticed the driver watching us in his rearview mirror. Obviously amused with out little spat. She blushed and gave up.

The rest of the drive to Forks was uneventful. Devan was giving me the silent treatment. I got to know our driver a bit better. It was good practice for me. I was able to see him and another guy fishing, having a good time. I saw his dog running into water to fetch after a stick. His dog was a yellow lab named, Stella. I saw that he was a gambler. He was divorced with no children. They had split because his wife had cheated on him with her boss. I stopped seeking after I saw this. I sometimes felt a little bit guilty snooping into people's history. Still…I learned a lot from it.

The hour flew by, as well as many trees, and pretty soon we were pulling into Forks. The road sign was exactly as Devan had drew it. I should remember to tell her how impressed I was with her drawing. There was no mistaking it. This was the very place she had her vision of. And now we were finally here….

* * *

**Almost there... Please read on to get to the Cullen Family Story! :D**


	4. Forks

Chapter 4 – Forks

Devan's POV:

I got the chills when I saw the 'Forks' road sign. Déjà vu happened to me a lot considering my talent, but this was different somehow. The déjà vu continued as Silver and I got out of the yellow cab with the number 64 on the side. Silver always enjoyed when a vision came true, but it still freaked me out a little.

"Thank you, Sir. Have a nice trip back to Port Angeles," Silver waved the driver off. She turned to me and said, "What next?"

"Oh, you are asking me?"

"Sure…you are Madam Devan! You see all!" she giggled.

"I don't know. I am sort of hungry,"

"Me too! Let's eat!"

"There is a diner on that side of the street just a few blocks back," I told her. Her nose started to turn up at the mention of 'diner', but she agreed after looking around for herself and seeing that we wouldn't do much better.

The diner was very rustic. There were a lot of bearded men who looked like lumberjacks inside. The waitress was friendly. Silver lied and told her we were in town to visit family. I could see the next question from the waitress before she asked. I tensed up and hoped my sister's skill of thinking on her feet and lying would pay off here.

"Who are you visiting?"

"Bob," Silver said with her mouth full of burger.

"Bob?" the waitress asked, looking a bit confused.

"Ya. I forget the last name….silly me," Silver said with a dopey look and hit her head with her palm. The waitress smiled kindly at my sister and let it go.

"That was close," I breathed loudly when she was out of hearing range.

"Will you relax. I have it under control. There are so many Bob's we could be visiting anybody. No one will figure it out," she told me with confidence. I put down my fork and pushed my plate away.

"You not going to finish your burger?" she asked, eying it. I shook my head.

"Go for it,"

"If you are sure," she said. Then she took a bite. Her face went all squished up and she swallowed with discomfort, dropping the burger back in my plate with attitude.

"Not good?" I laughed at her screwed up facial expression.

"I forgot it was veggie. Nasty business! I don't know why you won't try the real thing. It is the circle of life…we are meant to eat meat!" she ranted. I had heard it before. Silver was not some meat hound, but she did enjoy the odd burger on occasion. She had tried to get me on board for years.

"I don't like it,"

"You don't know if you like it…you won't try it,"

"I know I don't like the idea of eating animal flesh!" I said with a bit too much volume. The bearded man on my right looked at me as he held a big meaty burger. I shied away and faced Silver who was about to burst into laughter.

"Don't you dare laugh!" I whispered forcefully at her. She looked like her face was going to pop, but she held it in.

*

*

*

After we were done eating, Silver wanted to go to the school from my vision. It was like a fun game to her. A mystery and she was loving putting all the pieces together. I was more skeptical that we were on some wild goose chase and my stupid talent was just messing with us. What could a town like Forks have to do with the two of us? We didn't know anyone in the USA and we certainly didn't have a fondness for trees and moss! I bit my tongue and did what Silver wanted. I didn't have a better plan.

"Let me see it again,"

"Why?"

"Just give it to me!" she insisted. I rolled my eyes and gave her my sketchbook. She flipped to the page with the school on it. She held it up in the sky in front of us as we walked and then she pulled it down to reveal the actual building.

"Creepy, isn't it? How good you are!" she breathed into my ear. It was a statement not a question. I was a bit grumpy still from all the traveling and lack of sleep so I remained my cool composure, but a part of me did enjoy seeing the exact replica of my sketch standing across the street from us. Even the trees matched up. It was eerie.

"Well?"

"It is a bit creepy, isn't it?"

"Creepy, but soooo cool! You are the best!" she squealed and she hugged me tightly. I sighed and let a smile out. I was glad to have her optimism sometimes. It must be nice to be so cheerful even with the reality was we were all alone in the World. No family. No place to go! Silver maybe hadn't even thought of that. I didn't want to bring her down so I kept my thoughts to myself. She took me by the hand and ushered me across the road to the school parking lot.

Class must be in session because there was no one around. Silver thought it would be best to wait there for a bit. The sun was out and the warmth was nice on my face. We found a quiet spot on a bench in the courtyard to wait. It was out of sight from the classrooms so no one would see us loitering. I started to see a vision of a blonde boy with a red t-shirt talking to Silver. He was friendly and pointing in a direction. I couldn't quite make it all out. The vision ended. Silver was smiling widely at me. She shoved my sketchbook at me.

"Draw, please!"

"You are bossy,"

"Yes. Yes, I am," she nodded. I heaved a sigh and took the sketchbook. I quickly drew out the boy with blonde hair and Silver talking to him. I draw it all as one scene. I made sure he was pointing to the trees like I had seen. It took me about 7 minutes to complete the rough sketch. Silver was chewing gum and smacking in my ear as she hung over my shoulder to watch.

"You are getting so good. We should get you colored pencils so it would be even more real. That would be even better!"

"That would take too long,"

"Hey…my hair is a bit nicer than that," she critiqued. I ignored her and continued to detail the sketch. When I was done, she beamed and studied it. The bell rang and I jumped slightly. Teenagers started to pile out of the classrooms and walk about the yard. Silver stood up and stretched a bit. I gave her a questioning look.

"Just preparing myself to talk to the handsome boy!" she teased and smiled happily. I was about to say something cynical, but she squealed with joy and pointed.

"There he is! You wait here," she told me and snatched my sketchbook from my hand.

"Hey!" I blurted out. Then I realized I had drawn a book in her hand in my sketch. It was déjà vu again. The same scene. She went up to him and he offered if he could help her find something. She pointed to something in the sketchbook and then he graciously nodded and pointed to the forest and told her something. She came bouncing back to me.

"Very good…you forgot his book bag, but I won't dock you any points for that!"

"Gee, thanks," I mumbled sarcastically.

"He knows the house. He gave me directions," she explained. I was a bit flustered by the new info. I had not seen that one coming. Silver was always one step ahead. Which was ironic seeing as I was the one who could predict the future.

"The house is here in Forks?"

"Ya! Did you suspect otherwise?" she asked me with a serious expression. I didn't answer her. The truth was I had forgotten about the white house from my earlier vision.

"I guess it makes sense," I said to appease her. She smiled and nodded.

"Yep! Now, let us be on our way!"

*

*

*

It was now 2 hours since we left Fork's High School. We were trekking through the forest on a gravel road. The air was damp and everything surrounding us was green. Even Silver, who was normally positive, was grimacing. I had tripped and fallen twice already and gotten my jeans wet and dirty. Silver's hair was falling out of its do and she was not enjoying her heeled boots anymore.

"What the hell, Silver?"

"I am just going by what the cute blonde boy told me. He said to find Boundary Rd and follow it until we got to a fork and then go to the left,"

"I see no fork!"

"Well, maybe we have not gotten to it yet….just keep walking,"

"I am tired. And wet. And it is going to be getting dark in a few hours," I complained.

"Keep the faith, sister," she said with a laugh.

"You are not helping," I replied coolly.

"Well, if you would like to look ahead and see where we will be in a few hours, that might help,"

"It doesn't work that way!" I raised my voice. She kept walking. I had no choice but to follow her. Going back would mean 2 more hours of hiking for sure. I was hoping we were almost at the house and by some miracle it would be like heaven and we would go inside, sit on a cloud, and drift off into a peaceful slumber, away from all this damp, green goo that covered everything.

"Snap out of it!" Silver's voice jarred me back to reality. I guess she had been trying to tell me something. She pointed to the road ahead. There was a fork in it.

"Finally!"

"This is great!" she exclaimed. I shot her a nasty look. She toned down and said, "At least we know were are not lost,"

And that was something to be thankful for. I am not one who likes to be one with nature. It is nice to look at and I can appreciate it but to sleep outdoors under the stars would be torturous to me. I think even through her perkiness, Silver would hate being out here for any length of time too.

Another while passed. It felt like days. Silver had given up on her hair and let it down. I gave her one of my hair elastics to pull it back. Much to her chagrin, she accepted. Just as I was about to start another bout of complaining Silver stopped and put her arm out to stop me. I crashed into it.

"Oh thank you!" I proclaimed as I saw what she was seeing. Through the trees was some white. It had to be the house. I started to walk again. She held on to me and stood her ground. I nearly fell backwards.

"What gives?"

"Well, I don't really know what we should do next," she told me. She was right. We couldn't just go walking into someone's home. What would we say? I was getting cold and impatient so I snapped at her, "Well…we can't stay out here…so make up your mind and let's get on with it!"

"Okay. Okay," she said, pulling me from the road into the soft-bedded forest beside it. My face told her I was not amused.

"We will just sneak up to get a closer look. That way we can see if someone if home,"

"Fine, but then we better go inside the house or at least use their phone to get back to town. I am freezing!"

"Okay, sounds good. Any more visions?"

"No!"

"Touchy!"

"Well, ya!"

"Come on then. And watch your step," she encouraged as she led the way through the dense forest. We were almost there. I could see a lot more of the house now through the trees. It was the right one for sure. I could tell by the shape of the windows and the fancy pillars that held some of it up. I was so busy deciphering the house that I didn't see the twisted root in front of me until I was on my hands and knees. Pain shot through my wrist. I clutched it close to me and held my breath.

"Oh crap! Are you all right?"

"No!" I barked at Silver.

"Well, can you move it?"

"I don't know!"

"Can you try?" she pressured me. She looked sincerely compassionate so I looked down at my arm. It wasn't so bad. I moved it slowly and wiggled my fingers. Everything seemed to work just fine.

"Oh good!" she sighed.

"Stupid tree branch!" I cursed. Silver helped me up and nodded, but her lips curled slightly at my place of blame. I was pretty accident-prone. This wasn't the first time and wouldn't be the last time I would fall down.

"I wonder why you didn't see that coming?" she pondered. Her comment made me boil inside with anger.

"Yes, that would have been helpful!" I remarked, gritting me teeth.

"You'd still probably fall over it," she pointed out. I had no comeback. She was probably correct.

Once we got as close as we could to the house without being in sight we stopped. My wrist was still a bit sore, but I didn't complain. I was more concerned about being covered in forest gunk! My whole backside was soaked in brown and green sludge and it was making me shiver and my teeth chatter.

"Shhh," Silver hushed me. She was trying to get a closer look at the house.

"I c-c- can't help-p it, I am freezing. Let's just g-go and knock…say w-we are lost and ask to use th-th-their phone," I stuttered. She looked at me for a moment and then said, "Okay. It is a decent plan,"

I didn't wait for her to pull me this time. I just headed to the door. I had a quick sight of Mary Alice, our Great Aunt, again, but I pushed it aside and kept walking. Silver must have had a vision at the same time, because she had stopped and when I turned around to look at her she was giving me a very confused expression.

"W-what is it n-now?" I asked impatiently. She caught up to me right in front of the steps that led to the large, white double doors at the front of the huge house.

"Just a weird vision," she shook it off. I would have asked normally, but I could only think about getting warm.

As we walked up to the doors, I hesitated to knock for one second. Silver, ever the optimist, was not sure about this either. When I looked at her she gave me a shrug and whispered, "It is awfully quiet," and a shiver ran through me. "Maybe we should-" she started to say, but I had already banged my good fist twice on the large, wooden door. I dropped my hand and stepped back. Silver looked at me with her large, violet eyes and gulped. I knew how she felt. Double gulp!

* * *

**Well, they made it to the house.....**


	5. Yikes!

Chapter 5 – Yikes!

Silver's POV:

It seemed like eternity waiting for someone to come to the door. The only sound around was the chattering of Devan's teeth. She noticed the sound too and tried to stop. When there was still no answer and I was about to knock again, there was a click and the door opened. I quickly put my hand behind my back.

There stood a beautiful woman. She looked like Grace Kelly from the 1950's. Her hair was softly waved and polished. She was dressed in a fitted, cream blouse and a black pin skirt that slit slightly at her knee. I stopped myself from letting my mouth hang open. I looked over to Devan briefly to see she had not contained herself as well as I.

"How can I help you?" she asked kindly. Her smile was warm. Devan waited for me to speak. I was interrupted by a vision. I could see this woman crying. Not soft crying, she was doing the ugly cry! I could hear a baby crying too… then it stopped. The next thing was her standing on the edge of a rock cliff and she threw herself off it. I could see her in a hospital morgue, lying dead. My vision was only a split second long, but it left me a bit dazed. I straightened myself out before it got too awkward and asked, "We were walking through the woods and we are a bit lost. May we use your telephone, please?"

The woman smiled knowingly and nodded her head. It creeped me out. In the foyer there was a man waiting for her. He was man pretty. I assumed he was her husband from the way they coupled together. He was dressed very neatly too, in a brown and beige ensemble. Devan's teeth chattered away. The inside of their house was nearly as cool as outside. Only there was less of a breeze.

"Oh course, come on in," she welcomed us. We entered into the large foyer. It was a huge space. The man put his arm around her.

"Thank you," I mumbled. I was still a bit concerned about my vision. Then another one hit me hard and fast! In a split second I saw the woman's gorgeous, blonde husband, dressed in a lapel, bending over the woman in the morgue. He bit her! She screamed in pain. She had not been dead! Then I was back. My face properly showed some of my shock. The vision was intensely strange. I covered it up and smiled gently.

"Where are you two from?" the man asked.

"We are from Australia," I blurted out before Devan spoke. I didn't want her to tell them we were from London in case they made calls inquiring about us later.

"You are far from home," he responded. He seemed nice enough, but I had seen him bite this woman and the past never lies! So I kept my eyes on him. He stepped up to Devan and with a compassionate wave he encouraged her to follow him.

"You must be freezing. Come, I will light a fire to warm you up,"

"Thank you, th-that would be l-lovely," Devan replied. I so badly wanted to scream 'NO!' at the top of my lungs, but that would make me look crazy. The woman reached out to me and said, "Come along dear,"

"Uh…sure. Thanks," I muttered. My mind was all jumbled up trying to make sense of what I had seen.

"My name is Carlisle," the man told us as we followed him through the large, white room. To the left was an archway and through it was a nice sitting area. The walls had large, floor-length windows that showed the greenness that was the forest! There was a fireplace and a long, l-shaped sofa surrounding it.

"And this is my wife, Esme," he continued. Devan hesitated to sit on the sofa.

"Do you have a towel or something? I don't want to get your sofa dirty," she told them.

"Don't worry about it, dear," the Mrs. told her. Devan wasn't so sure. I handed her my sweater. She smiled at me and put it down before she sat. The sofa was white, like the room, and Devan's jeans were a mess of green and brown earth.

I sat next to Devan and waited for them to go get us the telephone. I wanted to get out of there so I could tell Devan my vision. The wife, Esme, left the room and the husband, Carlisle, started the fire. He was very quick. Then he noticed Devan cradling her arm and asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Uh…Oh, I am fine," Devan brushed off her injury. She was never one to let on when she was hurt. She found it embarrassing since it happened so often.

"Are you sure? I am a doctor. Do you want me to take a look at your arm?" he asked smoothly. He was very persuasive. Something about his calmness and his gentlemanly demeanor made him seem trustworthy. Devan noticed it too. She nodded lightly and said, "Well, I guess…if you don't mind,"

"Not at all," he told her and he sat down on the coffee table in front of her. His beautiful face was like pale marble and the way he examined her arm so carefully with his concerned eyes put Devan at ease. It may have convinced me too if I had not seen what I had. Another vision hit me! This time it was of the doctor and some other male. They were out in the forest running so fast they were a blur. Then the other male ran into a bear and tackled it. He was huge! As big as the bear, for sure, and the strange thing was that he took the bear down with no struggle at all. When he looked up, his dark eyes were in a frenzy and he wiped the stain of blood from his mouth. Then the vision ended.

"Are you alright, dear?" the doctor asked me kindly. I must have looked pale. I had felt the blood rush from my face after seeing what I had. I nodded and managed to say, "Yes, Sir,"

"I am sorry, I didn't get your names?" he said. I wanted to lie, but Devan had already told him, "I'm Devan and this is my sister, Silver,"

"It is nice to meet you both," he told us. His wife came back with the telephone.

"What lovely names," she cooed.

"Thanks," Devan replied. She was drawn in by their very presence. I think that was the point. I have seen this movie! It dawned on me. They were vampires! I tried to remain as calm as possible. I need to get us out of here. What the hell was I thinking, bringing us all the way out here to a vampire's den!?

"Well, Devan….I don't think your arm is broken, just sprained. You will need to go easy on it for a few days. If the pain doesn't subside by then, get yourself to a hospital for an x-ray," he told her with a kind grin. Devan thanked him and agreed. Esme had brought a tray of cookies and something steaming in a pot. She handed me the telephone. I was loath to use it and she offered us some privacy. Devan thanked her and I gave my best effort to smile convincingly. Then they left the room,

"What the heck is wrong with you?" Devan asked me. I quickly dialed information to get the number for a cab.

"Oh, you noticed, did you?!" I said sharply.

"You are acting a bit odd. I thought you'd be pleased now that we are here! End of big mystery and all!" she spoke jokingly. How was I going to explain to her what I saw?

"Crap!" I said because the operator made no sense and I had no time to press a billion extension numbers. I put the phone down.

"We gotta go!" I told her as I got up. She stared at me with confused eyes.

"What?"

"Trust me, we need to get out of here!"

"No way…we just got here," Devan told me calmly. I was in hysterics.

"Devan, I have to tell you something and it is not going to sound….real….but you have to believe me," I pleaded. I kept my voice low.

"Okay,"

"They are not human!" I managed to blurt out in the quietest voice I could manage. Devan raised her eyebrows at me and stared at me in silence. Then she said, "Are you sure you are okay? Maybe low blood sugar or something?"

"I am perfectly well!" I stated. I was bouncing with the urge to get out of there. I pulled on her good arm. She was still not grasping what I was telling her. She looked at me like I was a nut job.

"I am perfectly sane too! Now, get up and let's move!" I pulled her up. My strength was boosted by adrenaline. She gave me a nasty frown as I dragged her back through the house to the front door.

"Silver!!"

"Devan…when have I ever been wrong?" I asked her as I kept pulling her along.

"Hah!"

"You know what I mean…about what I see!" I rephrased. I am not sure what happened, I guess she began to believe me, but she seemed to understand my urgency all of a sudden and I didn't have to drag her anymore. I opened the front door and Devan stepped out willingly. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"Silver? Devan? Is everything allright?" I heard the doctor ask. I got very scared and I yelled, "RUN!" to Devan!

We took off down the driveway and after a minute we hit the main road. I turned to see if we were being followed. No one was there. I stopped and Devan stopped beside me. We panted. She gulped and huddled up close to me. I took her hand and we continued to walk quickly down the gravel road.

"What is going on?" she pressed.

"They are vampires!"

"What?" Devan questioned with a large crease between her eyes. I nodded and gulped for more air.

"It is true. I saw it!"

"That is insane! There is no such thing as vampires, Silver!" Devan yelled at me.

"I know! I know! But there must be. I saw him bite her as clear as day. I saw it happen! I saw him and another vampire killing a bear with their TEETH in the woods!" I exclaimed with a lot of emphasis on the word, teeth. She was looking as me with confusion and fear in her eyes. I had never been wrong about a vision before.

"The past does not lie, Devan!"

"Okay! Okay! I believe you. Now what?"

"Now we get the heck out of here!" I told her. We walked in silence for a few more minutes. The quiet of the forest around us and setting sun made this setting very frightening. I was so glad not to be alone.

"What was that?" Devan asked.

"What?" I hadn't heard anything.

"I heard something," she whispered. We stopped moving. Without the sound of our feet walking on the gravel I could hear it now too. It was a bit of a rustling sound. It was getting closer. I saw something move in the forest beside us. Devan squealed softly and buried her face in my shoulder. I was frozen in fear as well. I shut my eyes tightly. Waiting for the end.

"Hey, kids? Are you two, okay?" a graceful voice said.

"You shouldn't be walking out here at dusk…it is not safe," another voice added. I looked up and there were three good-looking people standing on the trail in front of us. A blonde-haired female, who had to be the most stunning person I had ever laid eyes on, and two young men, both with dark hair. They were every bit as beautiful as the doctor and his wife and just as pale. My mouth hung open in shock when I recognized one of the males as the bear tackler! He was even larger in real life.

This was a nightmare. We were screwed now. I had seen how fast they could run. There was no way to escape. I hugged my sister a bit tighter.

"I love you, Devan."

* * *

**Well, there you have it...the twins have met the Cullens and are on the run! Hehehe...not for long. **

**Please review and/or keep reading! :D**


	6. Vampires

Chapter 6 – Vampires

Devan's POV:

Why was she telling me she loved me? That could not be a good sign. My heart was racing with fear. It was not helping me that Silver was also scared stiff. Usually she was the one to tell me to snap out of it and to make me feel ridiculous for acting like a baby.

I wasn't trying, but I got another vision. Silver and I were inside the white house, sitting by the fire again. The doctor and his wife were there, and the three strangers we had just met were there too. And there was another blonde guy walking in with someone. I couldn't see them, though. Then next thing I see is Silver standing up, spilling hot tea everywhere with a look of utter shock written across her face. Then it ended.

"Hey! Are you girls okay?"

"Uh, ya," Silver said with not an ounce of surety in her voice. The three beautiful strangers didn't seem to want to hurt us.

"We live just up the road. Come, we will get you warmed up and then take you where you need to go," The bronzed hair boy told us. I thought it sounded like a good deal, but Silver was squeezing my hand so tightly I guess she didn't agree. Silver was determined they were vampires too, I suppose. I knew better than to doubt one of Silver's visions, but the idea of monster's existing went beyond my mental grasp. Our parent's told us there was no such thing. Had I been a fool to believe them?

"We are just going to walk back to town. Thank you, though," Silver told them. She was trying to sound confident, but we stayed put, neither of us seemed able to move our feet.

"Please, it is a long way to walk and the temperature is dropping," he offered. He was staring quite intensely as us. I gave Silver a nod to let her know I thought we might as well. She was shaking now too since she had left her sweater on the white sofa back at the house.

"This is happening for a reason," I reminded her. She straightened up and seemed to take that to heart. She was never one to back down from a challenge. She nodded and said to the handsome trio, "Thank you. We will take you up on that," she told them.

"Very well, it is a few minutes up this way," the bronze haired boy pointed.

"Can you promise me we will not be harmed?" Silver asked before she moved her feet.

"No harm will come to you," he responded. I felt Silver sigh and her feet started to follow them. I guess that was the best we were going to do for now. Running away was not an option. We would not get far. We had to take him at his word.

After 5 minutes or so the house came in view again and I gulped at the thought of re-entering. The doctor and his wife had been so kind to us I felt bad about how we ran off like we had. The blonde girl and the big dark haired guy had hurried on ahead and were already inside. The other boy was very quiet. As we neared the door Silver piped up and asked, "May we have a moment alone, please?" He nodded with a sly smile and said, "Come on in when you are ready," Both of us bopped our heads up and down in sync. He went inside and closed the door.

"Okay, what are we doing?"

"I'm not really sure,"

"Well…we are back at the house and now there are 5 of them!" she stressed the last several words.

"Yeeee-ah!" I agreed. I didn't know what else to say. I was still absolutely freezing. But the adrenaline running through me was keeping me from shaking any more.

"Tell me that you see a positive outcome to this?" Silver begged of me.

"I don't see a bad one," I told the truth with a shrug. I was about to tell her about my vision of her spilling tea, but she interrupted, "I am so cold, Devan. Please tell me that we will live if we go in there now and take them up on their deal,"

I struggled to see something of use. My mind flashed to us sitting outside the diner we had had lunch at today. It was light outside. We were not in the same clothing as we were now and we looked to be happy enough. I snapped back to reality in less than a second.

"Well?"

"It is good. We shall live to see tomorrow," I said with as much confidence I could muster.

"I don't like this. I think we should leave," Silver shivered.

"You tell me that this is a house of vampires and I believe you and you can't trust me to tell you that we will live to see tomorrow?" I asked her rhetorically. I was a bit annoyed with her. "You can't choose right now to lose faith in me!"

"Well…this all reminds me a little too much of Hansel and Gretel," she explained. I slapped her shoulder and said, "We will die if we go back out there in the cold. It will take us hours to walk to town and we'll never make it!" I exclaimed. I reached for the door handle and pushed the door open.

"Okay, fine! I will commit to this! But if they decide to have us for dinner do not say I didn't warn you," was all she said and she entered. It was the kind of snarky comment that I was used to from Silver. It comforted me somehow. I followed right behind her.

"Silver! Devan! We are so glad you decided to come back. I am sorry if we may have frightened you earlier," Esme said. She greeted us in the foyer. I smiled awkwardly.

"Um, ya. I am sorry we ran. My sister's imagination got the better of us," I said. I could feel Silver's eyes burning the side of my face.

"You are safe. No one will hurt you," Esme told us. She was so gentle and kind that it was hard not to believe her. Silver had to be having a nervous breakdown or something. Vampires were not real!

"You two are nearly frozen, come sit and warm yourselves," Carlisle offered. Silver's sweater was still on the sofa so I sat on it again. Silver next to me and I squished into a bit. In one fluid motion he draped a blanket around our shoulders. Silver tugged in it and shivered to herself.

"Thank you,"

"Esme thought some nice warm tea might help to warm you up," he told us, pouring the tea into two cups in front of us. No one else was having any. I took a look around at all of them. They all gave me stiff smiles and stood around in various positions in the room. It looked like they were trying a bit too hard. Silver picked up her tea.

"Try not to spill," I whispered. She was shivering and the cup shook as she held it. She still gave me a rude stare for suggesting it.

"Can we get you anything else?" Esme offered.

"No, thank you. We should get going soon," Silver said. Her confidence was returning along with her warmth. "Our…"

"Bob!" I blurted out. Oops.

"…Uncle," Silver continued. The big, dark haired male snickered. The pretty blonde and the bronze haired guy were smirking as well. _'Oh, great! Bob's our Uncle'_ I thought sarcastically. _'How lame!'_ Silver quickly added, "He will be wondering where we are,"

"Who is your Uncle? Perhaps we know him and can give him a call," Carlisle offered.

"He is new in town," Silver lied. The tone of her voice told them she did not want to answer questions. I was pretty sure they knew we were lying. My face felt warm.

"We will drive you to town as soon as you are warm enough" Carlisle told us. He was looking over at the bronze haired boy for approval. I couldn't make out what was transpiring between them. Silver blanked out for a few seconds and then whispered, "They know we know," without moving her lips. I got the feeling they heard her. I got scared again. Silver couldn't help her mouth from running....

"You have been able to hear us he whole time, haven't you?" she blatantly asked. I shot her a look to try to silence her.

"Yes, dear," Carlisle admitted. _'Oh crap!'_ I thought. That was not good. Silver said my thoughts out loud, "Well that is awkward," in soft voice. No one moved. A few of them smiled and suppressed a laugh. I shoved my face in my hands in disbelief. How could this be happening?

"What are we going to do with them?" The blonde girl asked in a beautiful, but slightly harsh voice.

"Please don't kill us! We are too young to die! I haven't even been kissed!" Silver proclaimed dramatically. I elbowed her in the ribs. They all smiled and laughed a bit.

"We don't want to kill either of you," Esme told us sweetly.

"Oh good! It is settled then…we will be on our way," Silver decided. She was about to get up, but Carlisle spoke so she remained seated.

"I can assure you we mean you no harm," Carlisle explained. He meant to be reassuring, but it was hard to trust someone who you just found out was a vampire.

"Yes…that is lovely. We appreciate that," Silver said with a touch of hysteria to her voice. I took a deep breath and waited. I was frozen in fear. We couldn't escape if we wanted to. There were too many of them. I was just hoping Silver could talk our way out of this one. She was about to get up again. There was a sound of a door opening and a few new people joined us. Silver turned to look first and as she did my vision came true! She gasped and dropped her teacup, hot tea spilling all over! I was so caught up in that happening I didn't look to see what she was gawking at. The others were the same way. They were all looking at the spilled tea rather than at the newcomers.

"WHOA!" Silver blurted out in a high-pitched squeal. It made me look. My mouth hung open, as I finally understood her reaction. There standing in the same room was the spitting image of Mary Alice!

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	7. Mary Alice

Chapter 7 – Mary Alice

Silver's POV:

"This can't be happening!" I blurted out. I wasn't even afraid anymore. I was in far too much shock. Devan's mouth was hanging open too and her eyes were fixed on the same girl as mine were. I waited for reality to come back, but nothing changed. This was reality! The girl standing there in front of me was just as I imagined her.

"Do you know each other?" The blonde girl asked.

"No, I don't think so," Mary Alice spoke. She had a perm-a-smile on her lips. She had the same black, spiky hair and tiny features as Mary Alice. She was tiny, like grandmother had described her. I stepped closer to her, still in disbelief.

"How can you be alive?" I asked. I felt like reaching out and poking her to see if she was really there. I retracted my finger before it got too close to her. That probably would have looked rude to poke someone you have just met.

"Uh…" she thought. The others were quiet. Mary Alice was not quite sure what to say. Devan got up and stood beside me. She leaned in and weakly suggested, "Maybe it isn't her. It could be a coincidence,"

"No…it is she. I know it!" I stated. And I was sure. There was no mistake. I reached for Devan's bag to get the sketchbook.

"Do you know these girls?" Esme asked Mary Alice. There was a hinting in her voice like she was asking something else.

"No," she replied and she shook her head to the hidden question, "I saw we were getting company, but I wasn't sure who it was,"

I took out Devan's sketchbook and flipped it to her drawing of Mary Alice. It could have been a photograph in black and white. That is how close it was. Devan's hand trembled as I handed her the sketchbook. Mary Alice stepped closer.

"I know who you are," I told her. I pointed to the drawing. "You are our Aunt. Our Great Aunt," I explained. The words sounded so much more ridiculous out loud than they had in my head. Devan bumped into me to hush me. I had to admit; I was getting a bit excited. This was incredible! She hadn't aged at all from the photo I had seen of her.

"Silver, this is nuts! She can't be. She would be over 100 years old by now!" Devan's rationalized out loud in front of everyone. She realized they were all watching her and she shrunk down again into silence. I nodded and looked to Mary Alice who was looking a bit more worried now. "But she is!"

The facial expressions on the other's faces proved I was on the right path. They were not surprised at all by her age. I could tell that they were a lot older than they looked as well.

"My grandmother said you vanished in 1918! But you clearly didn't vanish at all!"

" I am not sure when …it…happened,"

"Alice, can't remember her human life," Carlisle stepped forward to explain. Devan's eyes popped when he said 'human'. I was a little more used to the idea of them being vampires by this point. It should of scared me more, but I felt like I knew them. They really meant it when they said they meant us no harm.

"Whoa!" I said, breathlessly. I couldn't contain my smile.

"Whoa is right!" Devan agreed, her face pale.

"So, you are a vampire too, then?" I asked her flat out. It was pretty obvious, but I wanted to hear her say it. Everyone was surprised I asked. Devan gasped at the word, vampire. It seemed like a pretty straightforward question to me.

"Yes," Mary Alice answered.

"Interesting…" I said my thought out loud.

"It certainly is a lot of new information," Esme agreed. Devan grunted a short, little, "Ya!"

There was a slight pause. So I filled it. Something I was good at. "Oh! I am Silver, by the way!" I told her and reached out to shake her hand but my personality overpowered my judgment and I unintentionally hugged her. No one was expecting that. I backed up, and blushed very slightly and added, "And this is my sister, Devan,"

Devan was glaring at me for my overly outgoing display of affection as I introduced her. She barely moved, but held up her good arm and said, "Hi,"

"It is nice to meet you both. I am Alice," Mary Alice responded.

"Just Alice?" I asked. She blinked at me questionably, "I mean, your full name is Mary Alice, right?"

"I don't know," she told us. The others were lovingly looking at her, but there expressions were all a bit sad. There was another long pause. Devan huddled even closer to me. Then Alice got a familiar look on her face. She stared blankly like she wasn't in the room with us anymore. The blonde boy beside her stepped up to her and peered at her.

"So, this Uncle of yours?" Carlisle spoke up to interrupt us all from staring at Alice.

"Bob, is it?" The huge boy attached to the blonde girl teased. He was trying not to laugh. I smirked. The jig was up! "Fictitious," I admitted with an awkward smile. Devan looked upset with me for telling the truth. I shrugged at her.

"We should set up a room from them," Alice piped up. The blonde girl gave her a nasty look. Carlisle and Esme nodded, listening to Alice. "They will be staying a while," she continued. That was rather presumptuous of her. I smiled kindly. It was dark out and getting late. We had nowhere else to go.

I had a vision that showed these vampires trying to fit in with the humans. In a matter of seconds it was over, but it left me with hundreds of new facts about them. I now knew their names and I knew that a lot of them attended high school in Forks. Carlisle worked at the hospital. It was a secret that they were vampires. They didn't want anyone to know. And as far as I had seen so far, they didn't seem to be into killing sprees. That was a plus!

"So, the two of you came alone?" Esme asked. She never once used a harsh tone when she spoke. Devan was useless at this point. She was in the room, but watching the events unfold as they were happening. I had hoped at some point she would join in with me and start talking too, but in true Devan fashion, she was retreating into a mute-like state.

"Yes. Our grandmother passed away last week. We decided to leave L-" I was saying as Devan elbowed me in the ribs. "Ow!" Devan's eyes told me to be cautious, but I was doing the talking here. "It is fine. We know their secret. It is only fair we tell them the truth,"

"We would love to hear how you two found us here," Carlisle inquired.

"Please, girls. Come sit down, you both look a bit shaken," Esme offered. It was pretty noticeable that we were the oddballs in the room. They had all been so still this whole time as both Devan and I wavered and fidgeted in place. I nodded and started to go back to the sofa. Devan followed. The tea was still a puddle were I had spilt it.

"Sorry about the tea," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it, dear. I will clean it up later," Esme reassured. Devan waited for me to sit first and then she practically sat on me when she sat down. She snuggled up pretty close.

"So, what brought you here?" Carlisle inquired.

"Well, you, sort of," I said, looking straight at Mary Alice. Or, Alice as she went by.

"How did you know where to find me?" she asked.

"Uh…well, it is a long story. We really didn't expect to find you here," I explained, "Obviously," I stressed the word and waving at the spilled tea.

"We overheard you in the woods. You said something about 'visions'," Esme probed. Alice's head perked up and she repeated, "visions?" with great interest. Devan sighed.

"Well…ya. We had a bit of help finding this place. We followed some….clues, shall we say,"

"Clues?" Alice questioned. They were all very interested and were not going to be satisfied with a half-assed explanation. _'And hec_k!' I thought_, 'they are vampires. How would our secret be more shocking than that?!'_ I took a deep breath and smiled slightly at what I was about to say,

"This might sound a bit crazy, but I can sort of see things….well, not so much sort of as I can see anything thing that has already happened,"

"You mean," Carlisle started to ask, but he got lost in his thoughts.

"I see past events," I explained more directly. I was expecting more of a reaction. Perhaps some smirking or a few laughs of disbelief. The few people I had tried to tell my secret to in the past had not taken it very well.

"How much of the past?" The blonde boy asked. His name was Jasper, but I didn't want to use his name. It freaked people out when you knew things about them.

"Any past event since the beginning of time, I guess. I have not tested the limits. Although, I see things more clearly when I have a portal to them. Like, a person or object near me that is connected somehow with a certain event. So I rarely see anything dating back further than 2…or 3 hundred years. I am not much of a history buff," I babbled.

"That is quite the talent," Carlisle mused, "How do you do it?"

"Not that well," I laughed. I shrugged my shoulders and continued, "I haven't been able to use this skill much without looking like a crazy person so I am not very practiced. I have been getting a lot better this last week. I used to see things more randomly. On occasion I would see things when I wanted to, but lately I have started to be able to bring the visions on with a lot more ease,"

"Can you prove it?" Jasper asked. They all seemed to believe me, but were looking at me for proof of my words. I nodded.

"Ooookay…well, I know your names. Rosalie Lillian Hale and Emmet McCarty Cullen...You two are a couple. Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Jasper Whitlock Hale, you are with Alice," I said. They looked impressed and it made me feel a little too good about myself. _'What the heck?' _I thought and I continued,

"All of you attend high school in Forks. Carlisle works at the hospital. And Esme…"

"Yes?" Esme asked curiously. _'Oh, shoot!'_ I scolded myself mentally. I didn't want to upset her by bringing up her attempted suicide, but I was in too deep so I continued, skipping out that bit.

"Well…I know how you, uh…got changed…in the morgue," I said softly, embarrassed to do so. She didn't seem upset. Only Carlisle seemed saddened by what I had revealed.

"Yes, that is correct," she admitted with a sweet smile. I was feeling a bit ashamed with myself at this point so I stopped talking.

Alice, who had been very quiet spoke up, "I can see the future," and I felt Devan's whole body tense up and her droopy head seemed to straighten up again. I looked at her and she was as wide eyed as I imagined she would be. I smiled and told everyone for her,

"So can Devan…"

"Well, this is very interesting. You are quite the family of psychics, it would seem," Carlisle broke the silence. Alice seemed thrilled by the news of another future seeker.

"She is amazing!" I proclaimed, looking at Devan.

"No…I'm not," Devan grunted. He voice gruff from not speaking in a long time.

"She's being modest. We wouldn't have made it here if it weren't for her," I said, meaning it as a compliment. I don't think Devan caught it. She simply shook her head and sighed.

"You two must be very tired from traveling. Let me go get you a room made up for the night," Esme softly said.

"Thank you,"

When she was gone the room was silent again. Rosalie and Emmet left the room with Esme. Jasper stood beside Alice looking at her protectively. Edward was sitting on the piano bench at the side of the room looking very moody and thoughtful. As awful a glare as Rosalie had given us, Edward seemed just as put off by us. I was not sure why exactly.

"So, do any of you have special abilities like Alice?" I asked. I had seen them being able to run really fast. And I now knew they had great hearing. I was curious what else they could do. I looked to Jasper because I had a –feeling- that he was special some how.

"Jasper is an empath. He can sense emotions from miles around him and he can alter those emotions as well," Carlisle explained, with a smile, seeing that I had already picked up on Jasper's ability. I was a lot more relaxed now. Perhaps that was Jasper's doing. _'Amazing!'_ I thought.

"Edward can read minds," Alice piped up. Her voice reminded me of my mothers a bit. And it was kind of high pitched like mine gets when I am excited.

"Really?"

"Yep!" She confirmed. Edward looked over harshly. Devan gave me a pained look like she wanted to die of embarrassment. Edwards's lips moved slightly but I couldn't make out what he said. Carlisle, Jasper and Alice all heard and had similar expressions of confusion on their faces.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes," Edward spoke for the first time since we entered the house for the second time. He was still visibly upset.

"What's the matter?" I asked out loud. I was worried maybe Devan or I had thought something that offended him. Carlisle looked to Edward again. Alice spoke up to answer me, "He can't hear yours or Devan's thoughts,"

I must admit that this made me feel a lot better. Devan's body language revealed she felt the same way. I didn't say anything, but I nodded in slow motion.

"That has never happened before. He normally can read anyone's mind," Alice added. The room had a bit of an eerie feel to it. I shrugged and offered,

"I guess that proves it, Devan. We are not normal!"

I meant it as a joke. Devan rolled her eyes at me sarcastically. At least Alice thought it was funny. She grinned and whispered something to Jasper. Then Esme returned and encouraged us to break it up for the evening so we could rest. I had to admit that revealing so much information is such a short time had taken a lot out of me. And Devan was starting to look more and more pale by the second. She needed a break from this heavy conversation.

We followed Esme up the stairs and down a white hallway to the last door on the right. She had left some towels out for us and told us to call out her name if we needed anything during the night. I thanked her and she left us alone. Devan looked at me with pain in her eyes. I sighed and knew what was coming. I reached out and held her as she let the tears fall. She was not crying very hard, but I was pretty sure the rest of the household could hear her sobs.

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	8. Seeing Double

Chapter 8 – Seeing Double

Devan's POV:

"Deeeev-aaaaan,"

'_What the hell is that?'_ I thought. Something was squishing me.

"Deeeev-aaaaan,"

'_Noooo…no no noooo'_ I thought to myself. I kept my eyes tightly shut hoping it would go away. Sadly for me, it was one of Silver's morning ambushes! I opened my eyes slightly to see Silver's face inches away from mine. I jolted my head back a bit and moaned.

"Gooooood morn-ning!" she exclaimed happily with a big, dopey grin on her face. She was sitting on top of me. My annoyed reaction didn't seem to alter her cheery attitude. She slid off me so I could sit up. I rubbed my head and brushed all the hair away from my face. She stood in front of me, bouncing a bit as she stood in one place.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Okay… I guess,"

"Esme made pancakes!"

"Uh…that is nice," I said in monotone. I didn't mean to be so unenthused. Apparently vampires have super hearing so I had to watch my mouth while in their home.

"Well, come on then! Up and at em'!" Her cheerfulness was aggravating. How did she do it? It was so unnatural to be that happy in the morning. Especially after the night we had last night. I thought we were going to die! More than once, that thought had entered my mind. It should be accepted that I would be a bit standoffish this morning. Somehow, I don't think Silver saw it the same way. She bounced impatiently waiting for me to get up.

"You look a mess!" She told me in the same happy voice. The way Silver spoke made even her insults sound pleasant. I stood up and looked down at myself.

"Of course I look terrible. I am covered in dirt!" I grumbled. She smiled brightly and took my hand. "It doesn't matter! We will figure it out later. It is breakfast time!" she told me. As she led me I stumbled on my own feet and bumped into the door frame. Silver didn't seem to notice.

She took me along the long, white hallway and then up a few stairs and to the left. It was another sitting room, but a tiny bit more casual. It was white and modern like the rest of the interior. I found it slightly odd how modern it all was considering they were vampires. Also…the exterior of the house was a lot more traditional so I had expected to find the same inside. We came to a stop in the middle of the room. To the right was an open kitchen with bar and full island counter.

"Devan, come eat. You must be hungry," Esme popped in from behind the counter. She looked just as stunning as she had last night. She was dressing in a very elegant wrap around dress and she had on top, an apron that matched. She added a few more pancakes to an already tall pile. It smelled amazing. Silver pushed me up to the bar stool and held it out for me. Once I was sitting there I got a full view of the large spread of food and beverage choices. There were at least 4 types of syrup to choice from. Silver beamed a huge smile at me.

"Thank you. This looks…amazing," I said calmly. Esme smiled kindly and told me to dig in. Silver sat on the bar stool next to me, her knees jumping around like they were not attached to her body.

"You have to try this one," she raved and poured the purple syrup on my plate. I was so hungry I didn't even ask. I just dug in. It was very good.

"You ate already?" I asked my sister as I swallowed a mouthful. She nodded eagerly.

"I was too hungry to wait! I didn't want to wake you," she told me. I slanted my head to one side and glared at her. She just smiled at me. How aggravating!

"Alice is altering a few of her things for you to wear," Esme explained after I caught her staring at my grungy clothing.

"Oh, she doesn't have to do that," I replied politely. I hardly knew the girl. I didn't want to borrow her stuff. Then I noticed that Silver was not messy and not in the silky yellow outfit she had on yesterday. She was clean and in a new, very stylish skirt and vest combination outfit with coordinating shirt and stockings and the whole bit. It was too fashionable, in my opinion. She looked like she should be modeling for some teen magazine and not like she was wearing functional everyday clothing. So…it was right up Silver's ally!

"Isn't it great?!" Silver asked me and she leaped off the stool to show me her outfit. She turned around and bounced up to me again for an answer. "Ya. Nice," I said with my mouth full. She frowned at my lack of excitement.

Carlisle, Jasper and Alice walked into the room cautiously. I got the feeling it was for my benefit. Silver seemed pretty comfortable with the whole Cullen family. Last night before we fell asleep she had tried to tell me all their names again, but I was still a bit confused of who was who and why some had different last names. Silver smiled at them and skipped over to Alice.

"I love what you did to this outfit. It is super! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

Alice laughed and replied, "You are so welcome. You look great in it!" with the same enthusiasm as Silver and then went on to say, "It is not perfect, but it will do for now. We will have to go shopping to get you some more things that will fit you better," as she examined the clothing on Silver. My sister was grinning from ear to ear. Carlisle and Jasper looked almost as bored as I was with this scene.

"How are you this morning, Devan?" Carlisle asked me. I had my mouth full of pancake, but I nodded. "And your arm? Is it feeling any better?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Much better," I managed to say after swallowing a large mouthful of food.

"Good," he responded sincerely. I kind of liked him. He seemed so human.

"So, how old are you girls?" Esme asked to make conversation, "10? 11?"

"We're 12!" Silver and I said at the same time. One thing we both hated was being tiny. We constantly got taken for being younger than we were.

"Nearly 13!" Silver added. She smiled again. I wondered how she smiled so much without her face getting tired.

"And you are in grade-?"

"7," Silver answered. There was a pause. Everyone was trying to think of something to say next. I knew they were all probably wondering what we were going to do next. I wish I knew. Silver was the one who made the plans usually. We had run off and came here on her whim and now we had nowhere to go. I was hoping to talk to Silver alone about how we would be getting back home to England.

I finished eating and as I got up to clean my dish, Esme took it from me and insisted she would tidy up. I graciously thanked her. The food had been wonderful. Silver practically knocked me over as she bounded over to me.

"I will show you where the bathroom is! Follow me!" she sang. She hoped up next to me and pushed me along down the hallway and down the few steps. She actually said, "Boing!" with every step she bounced down. Then she giggled. Esme and Alice were behind us and seemed slightly amused by my sister's strange behavior.

I couldn't wait to have a shower. Silver showed me where everything was and then left me to go help Alice find an outfit for me to wear.

"Silver!" I called as she skipped into the hallway.

"Yee-aassss?" she asked, leaning her head back into the bathroom.

"Nothing too fancy," I reminded her softly. She rolled her eyes.

"Ya. Ya," she said, bored with my request. She zipped away.

The shower felt great. I was a little disgusted with how dirty the water running off me was and the amount of moss and dirt that had been tangled up in my hair. It was almost comical. The shampoo and conditioner that they had left out for me smelled like mangos, pineapple, and raspberries. Once dried off and in the towel I realized I had nothing clean to put on. The knock on the door made me jump.

"Comin' in!" Silver said as she entered. She placed a pile of fabrics on the counter. "You smell like a fruit basket!"

"Thanks, I told her. The shampoo and conditioner smells were still wafting around the room quite prominently. She smiled at me and stood there waiting for me instruction so I coolly added, "You may leave now!"

"Fine, fine," she said and pranced out. I closed the door behind her and finished getting ready. I put on the outfit Silver had brought me. It was pair of thin, purple leggings and a black and white mini dress in a strange zebra sort of pattern. It was made of some stretch, silky, slinky material that I didn't know, but it felt expensive. It fit quite well, despite of my loathing of it. I was not a dress kind of girl. I slipped on a pair of black, leather flats in a size 5, which were perfect. Thank goodness our Great Aunt, Alice is tiny. **(Go to my profile to check out this and Silver's outfits for this chapter)**

I got my hair detangled and I braided it in a single French braid down the back of my head. I looked around to see if there was something else for me to do. I would have liked to hide myself away for longer, but it would be rude. I decided to venture out into the hallway. I felt like a fool in the outfit I had on. I heard voices coming from the end of the hall. I stepped lightly toward the noise.

"They will do for now, but we will need to go shopping. I will take you two into Port Angeles this afternoon!" Aw, crap! That sounded like torture.

"Devan will be thrilled, I am sure," I heard my sister's sarcastic comment as I got closer to the room on the left.

"Devan?" I heard my name being called. I walked a bit faster and tucked into the room.

"We thought we could all go into Port Angeles to get you and Silver some much needed items. Does that sound okay to you?" Esme asked me. I wasn't used to being asked. Since Silver and I had moved in with out grandmother we hadn't had a lot of time for friends so Silver had made me her shopping partner against my will. I wasn't sure if my opinion matter here or not, but I tried to be honest.

"I am not much for shopping,"

"You have to come! It is going to be fun!" Silver coaxed.

"I dunno. We should really-"

"We need clothing, Devan. And other things. It is inevitable,"

"Yes. Plus, it will be nice spending time together," Alice beamed with excitement.

"Ya, get to know each other! You know. Bond, and such!" Silver added with great cheer. She and Alice were both smiling and bobbing up and down where they stood. They looked so much alike it was uncanny. I smirked at that last thought. Alice was the sister Silver had always wanted me to be. She glided up to me and flashed me her 'please please please' face.

"Okay," I gave in. I didn't want to be left alone anyway. Not in a house of vampires I had only just met last night. I was still not really sure why we were not supposed to be scared of them anymore. Silver seemed to be sure that they were not dangerous. I was trying to trust her judgment. She was generally right on when it came to knowing people. Yet, the way a few of them stared so intensely at me made me nervous. Edward, especially.

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The shopping trip proved to be a torturous as I had thought it would be. I did my best not to show how much I was not enjoying it. I refused to let them pick things out for me. I just grabbed a few pair of jeans in my size, a few t-shirts, some under things, some socks, a pair of sneakers and a sweater. That was that! I was done.

Alice and Silver were off in there own World. Two of a kind, really. They skipped, danced and pranced from store to store dragging me along. Thank goodness Esme was there to help hold the bags because my arms would never have been able to manage. Alice was like a Goddess in Silver's eyes. She was everything she has dreamt of becoming when she was a teenager. I wanted to gag at the massive consumption that was taking place.

It took hours to pick up all the things Silver thought we needed. I kept hoping to get a moment alone with her to discuss what were planning on doing. I was getting a bit anxious because she seemed set on staying with the Cullen's for longer than just a day or so.

When we got back to the white house in the woods, Esme and Alice unloaded the car and then insisted on making us lunch. They seemed to be having a grand time following recipes and preparing a meal for us. Even though, they were holding their breath. Silver whispered to me and explained that food doesn't appeal at all to them. _'Sure, sure…cause' blood is a lot more appetizing' _I thought.

Silver snuggled up close to me and took my hand. This shock went through me and I had a vision like none-other I had ever experienced. It was far more vivid than any I had seen before. It was Silver and I. We were laughing and sitting at the table in our old house. Mom and Dad were there. Then I realized that it was a memory. Of our 9th birthday where Mom had made us my favorite kind of pasta and garlic bread for dinner. I could actually smell the food. I felt the happiness. Then it ended in a matter of seconds.

I pulled away from Silver in shock. She looked at me confused. She had been smiling thoughtfully until I had pulled away so abruptly.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh…I don't know," I told her. I tried to get the thought of my parents and that night out of my mind. Silver smiled and let it go. I looked over to find Alice looking at me wistfully.

"Silver, give me your hand again," I whispered softly. She didn't ask why she just took my outreached hand.

"Now, do what you were just doing?"

"What was I doing?" she asked innocently.

"See the past. Anything you want to…or anything you can,"

"Oooookay," she said slowly, looking a bit unsure of what I was wanting, but she agreed.

"Just do it!" I ordered her. I felt her sigh and then another flash came to me. This time it was a scene of us when we were about 5 years old, dressed up the same looking like mirror images of each other. Silver was bouncing around as usually and I was playing with a doll that I used to love. The vision ended and the nostalgia I felt made my eyes water.

"What is it?" Silver asked, letting go of my hand.

"I could see that!" I told her, a tear falling from my eye. I wiped it away.

"You could?"

"All of it. I felt it too. And before with the garlic bread," I babbled. How crazy that must have sounded to the others around us, I thought.

"That is….WONDERFUL!" Silver decided, "Now I can just show you when I see something," She was pleased with this.

"Perhaps you can share your visions with Silver, too," Alice mused. She had been listening and joined us now on the love seat.

"I don't know," I thought out loud. I could feel a few sets of eyes watching me curiously.

"Sure…it has to work both ways!" Silver squeaked with joy. She took my hand and shook it a bit, "Try!"

I really did want to give it a go. However, I was so overwhelmed by the new revelation and not very good at jump-starting my visions that I got shy and pulled away. Silver looked a bit hurt.

"Let's just eat. I can't do it!" I told her. I stood up and went over the counter where the food was set up. I wasn't hungry anymore. I kept seeing the pasta and garlic bread my mom used to make in my mind now and I wanted to go back in time to that moment. I couldn't believe how lucky Silver was to have her talent. She could see any of those memories whenever she wanted. I picked at my food as that thought lingered in my mind. I kind of hated Silver right now.

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	9. Staying Put

Chapter 9 – Staying Put

Silver's POV:

Devan was acting a little bit odd. I understand that it was a big deal that our Great Aunt was a vampire and over 100 years old, but Alice was so likable I didn't get why Devan was still so standoffish around her. I was just hoping in time, Devan would come around and accept that the Cullens were a really nice family. They have treated us so well since we barged in on their lives.

It was early morning and I couldn't sleep anymore. Devan was taking up the whole pull out bed anyway. She was such a blanket hog! I decided I would get ready for the day. It was a more pleasant experience than I ever imagined it could be. Alice was so thoughtful. The bathroom was all ready for me with fresh towels, burning candles, expensive bubble bath, a stereo and a stack of fashion magazines. She always seemed to know what I was going to need before I knew myself. She was far more advanced at reading the future than Devan. I smiled gleefully to myself as I started to run the water into the tub.

The Wombats 'Little Miss Pipedream' started playing first and I my head started to bounce from side to side. It was so frickin' catchy! I heard someone at the door. I suspected Alice.

"Alice?"

"Yep!"

"You are the best! An angel!!! Thank you!"

I heard a giggle and then she said, "I am so glad you are happy,"

"I am in heaven!"

"Well, enjoy. I have something to show you when you are out,"

"Okay…soon. I will find you," I called.

"Take your time," she said sweetly. I sat back in the bubbles and smiled. I picked up one of the magazines and began to flip trough it, flicking my feet around to the music as I read. This was exactly what I needed to take my mind off Devan.

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"Alice?" I asked softly, but in a higher voice than I expected. I peeked into the upstairs living area.

"She's in her room," Esme told me. She was alone in the kitchen cutting up a bouquet of fresh flowers and arranging them in a huge, blown glass vase. "Are you hungry, dear? Do you need me to make you something to eat?"

"No, I am not hungry. Thank you, though," I responded. She nodded.

"Alice's room is the last door on the left,"

"Yep! Thanks," I said and I turned gracefully and chassed down the hallway. I stopped and pivoted right in front of Alice's bedroom door, which was open.

"Hey!"

"Come in. Come in!" she waved to me. She was perched on the end of a Victorian chaise lounge. I entered eagerly. I was already used to Alice. I made friends easily. It was natural for me to trust people early on in a friendship. After all, I could see their past and get a pretty good idea of what kind of person they are. Alice was a very special girl. I had nothing but respect and love for her after looking into bits and pieces of her past.

"I was hoping you would give me your opinion on a few new designs I have come up with,"

"I would LOVE to!" I said happily. And I meant it! This was the thing I lived for.

"Great! Come with me!" she got up and leaped to what looked like closet doors.

"Uh…" I mumbled softly, a bit confused_. 'Where are we going?'_ I wondered. Her closet was right there. Then she grabbed the handles, turned to smile at me and flung them open! Light poured out of the secret room that had just been revealed to me.

"Oh….My….Heaven!!!"

"You like?"

"I mean it! This is my heaven! Forget bubble bath and candles…this is Utopia!" I said breathlessly, my mouth hanging open. Alice seemed to love my reaction. I walked into, yes…INTO, her closet and gawked at the lines of clothing that ran down a short hallway. There was more! At the end of the line, there was a separate square room, with cubbyholes galore. They were filled with hundreds of shoes, purses, scarves, sunglasses, and every other accessory you could ever dream up.

"I thought you might appreciate this,"

"Uh, ya!!" I exclaimed. I realized my mouth was still hanging open. I closed it and checked for drool.

"You are welcome to borrow anything you want. Anytime,"

I couldn't help myself. I squealed loudly and ran into her for a hug. It kind of hurt, she was rock solid…but I hugged as tightly as I could anyway, hoping she could feel it. She laughed and hugged me back a lot more softly.

"Silver?" I heard from the hallway. Both Alice and I looked up and out into her bedroom.

"Silver?" my sister repeated as she stumbled into Alice's room. She was still in her sleepwear and her hair was its usual morning rat's nest. She was a messy sleeper. She looked shaken and like she had just woken up.

"What's up, Fro-head?" I teased.

"I heard…I thought I…are you okay?"

"Yeee-aaah." I said in a tone as confused sounding as my face must have read.

"Oh," She mumbled, "I heard a scream. I thought…"

I laughed and shook my head.

"Nope…Alice wasn't having me for breakfast. No worries!" I said jokingly. Alice smiled. Devan looked like she wanted to hurt me. Her eyes were like saucers. I smiled really big to break the tension.

"Funny! HA HA!" she sarcastically responded, " I am going to get dressed," she added.

"Devan, I will run you a bath!" Alice generously offered, skipping over to my sister.

"Uh, no thank you. I can manage," Devan said. Her lips curled up a bit in an attempt to smile. And then she left. Alice turned to me with a look of question on her face.

"She's more of a shower kind of girl," I explained. Alice nodded and we carried on with the fashion show!

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I was in the kitchen with Alice and Esme making sandwiches for Devan and me. I kept trying to tell them I could manage without them, but they insisted on helping even though I could see they were holding their breath as they did so. Carlisle was home and he was reading on the sofa. Jasper was also around, keeping a careful distance. I had no idea were the others were. Edward was probably off sulking. He was still trying to read our minds with no luck. I was very happy that he couldn't.

There was the sound of a door close from the hallway and some footsteps coming this way. Then there was a 'thud thud thud' sound. I was used to Devan being a huge klutz so I didn't react like the others. It must have sounded a lot louder to them, though. They were all on the edge of their seats about to go see, but I stopped them as soon as I heard the noise.

"Wait!" I instructed. There was a few seconds of silence and then it came.

"I'm okay," Devan's voice meekly called out to me.

"We have a system," I explained, "If she doesn't say anything after a few seconds…then we call the ambulance," I joked. Even though it really wasn't a laughing matter. Devan was constantly busting herself up. The both of us were so used to it, we were casual about it now. Devan joined us, rubbing her elbow as she entered.

"You okay, Sis?"

"Yep," she delicately replied and sat on the bar stool that was awaiting her.

"Three steps…remember…three steps," I told her. She shot me a menacing glare. It was more intense than usual so I reined in a bit to give her some space. She was always less uppity then I was, but the last few days had been a lot harder on her than me.

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After we ate something, Devan suggested we go for a walk. I didn't want to, but she had this look in her eyes like it was urgent and private. So I agreed. We took off alone down the gravel road into town.

"So?"

"Not yet…I think we had better get into town. I want to talk in private and as kind as the Cullen's have been. I really don't feel comfortable talking to you in front of them," she explained, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Okay. Fair enough," I answered. It was the last words spoken between us until we hit the main road again, which was a long time to be quiet. It took us at least an hour to reach it. We walked down the street until we saw the diner and I suggested we take a seat and talk. There was a bench right outside with no one on it so we sat down.

Devan looked at me and took a breath.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"What do you mean? You wanted to get out of the house and have a chat in private," I answered her. She looked at me like I was on my own planet.

"Ooooh, you mean what are we doing here as 'what are we doing still in Forks'," I realized. I had caught her drift. She waited for me to know answer her.

"Well, Alice is great!"

"Ya…she is you multiplied by 10. Of course you think she is great!" Devan shot back.

"Hey hey now, let's keep this friendly," I said half jokingly. She eased up and sat back, leaning against the bench.

"I just think that we don't belong here. It is not our home,"

"It could be," I tested.

"Silver…they are-" she began, but my face told her to not continue with that sentence out loud. It was important not to give up the Cullen's secret. It would put all of us in grave danger. Alice had warned me about a group called The Volturi and from what I was able to see of them by hanging around Carlisle, they were not vampires we wanted to piss off!

"I know it is unorthodox. But they are still family,"

"Really? Cause' we just met them," Devan rationalized.

"Yes…but Alice is family. And they are her family. That makes us family as well,"

"But how c- can we…It- it -it is just too much to deal with!" she stumbled over all her words in her fluster.

"I get that you are worried. But if you are willing I can try to show you why I am so sure they are the best family for us," I told her, raising my hand off my lap a bit in her direction. She eyed it.

After a long moment she took it and I showed her some of the things I had seen of the Cullen family. A lot of the good stuff they did. Like how they didn't hunt humans. A lot of them had never even tasted human blood. The ones that had have changed their ways and they all worked together to be better than the monsters they have been labeled. I also showed her what a wonderful man Carlisle was. How much he cared for humans and what a compassionate doctor her was. I showed her some of Esme's past. Even the bit about her attempting suicide and then how much she unconditionally loved all the Cullen family. It was overwhelming. I continued to show only the better snippets of Emmet, Rosalie, Edward, and Jasper's pasts. I didn't want to unload it all on Devan quite yet. Seeing the past was so detailed it was exhausting.

I let go of Devan's hand and let is all sink in. She was clearly overwhelmed but the years of history she had just witnessed in a matter of seconds.

"They are good hearted," I whispered.

"Ya," she agreed. I wondered if she was rationalizing about my line about their hearts. Since their hearts didn't actually function anymore. I let the thought go and focused on Devan again.

"And I think if they don't mind us staying with them for a bit longer we should accept. Unless you have a better idea. Or…if you have seen our future and they are not in it," I suggested.

"I have not seen anything yet," she admitted. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. Then she opened them a few seconds later and looked at me.

"Nothing," she said flatly. She cracked a smile. It was so nice to see her relaxed a bit.

"Well, it is no big deal. If anything comes to you, you can show me then,"

"Okay," she agreed.

"And do we agree to stick it out in Forks for the time being?"

"Yes. I will agree to that. For now,"

"Good. I think it is best. They have stopped searching for us in England, by the way," I informed her. She looked up at me curiously. I explained, "I have been keeping tabs,"

"Well, that's…. mildly depressing," she said, and then gave a one, short laugh. I burst into giggles and nodded. It was rather amusing that people in London had already forgotten us. It made me even more positive that we should stay in Forks.

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	10. Sharing

Chapter 10 - Sharing

Devan's POV:

It had been a couple of days since Silver and I had agreed upon staying in Forks. The Cullen's seemed to be fine with our decision. Alice was the one who really pushed for us to stay. Esme and Carlisle had no problem with us staying either. They said something along the same lines as Silver had said to me about us being Alice's family and therefore, we are all family. I wasn't quite buying that concept yet, but I was trying to make an effort to fit in. At least someone wanted us. That made me feel kind of nice.

The others were neutral at best. Jasper was happy if Alice was happy so he tolerated us. Edward was always off in a corner looking depressed so I doubt we would get in his way. Rosalie and Emmet were hard to read. I got the feeling that Emmet was fine with us staying. Rosalie on the other hand was not happy and didn't pretend to like us for the sake of anyone. Rosalie freaked me out! If looks could kill, both Silver and I would have been goners the first night we met the family. The facial expressions on her face had not eased up since. She silently glared at us whenever we were in the same room with her, which was not that often, thank goodness. _'Not to self: Steer clear of the blonde one!' _

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Silver had been up for hours primping and putting her outfit together. We were going to school for the first day today. Carlisle had enrolled us and we all new our story. According to the lie....Silver and I were Alice's younger sisters. We had been living in Canada with Foster family up until recently when the Cullen's were finally able to get custody of us and reunite us siblings. It all sounded like a one of the Soap Opera stories on television. However, the school bought it, and we, somehow, had the legal documentation to prove it. So here we were... heading off to school. _'Oh joy!'_

I was already dressed and ready to go. I was really nervous to go to school. It was never one of my favorite activities in London. I was the shy, awkward girl. Now I was going to be the shy, awkward, new girl. _'Even better'_, I thought sarcastically. Silver was fine with it. She loved going to school. Not for studying, no…Silver liked the social aspects that school brought.

"Hey!" Silver bounded into the room and pounced on the bed. I scratched a long pencil line across the page I had been drawing.

"Silver!" I whined.

"Sorry," she apologized. She wasn't sorry at all. "So…we have to go in 10 minutes. Esme wants you to come eat breakfast,"

"I am not hungry," I snapped at her in a low voice. _'Oh great, I am grumpy now. Not a great start to the day,' _I thought.

"Don't kill the messenger," she chirped happily, not affected by my mood at all. She hoped off the bed and skipped off. I took a deep breath and went back to my sketch. I wasn't drawing anything new that I had seen. I was remembering what Devan had shown me that night she first shared her visions with me.

"Devan!" a voice called to me. I hoped it would stop. I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide, but I knew that was not a possibility. "Devan! You need something in your stomach. Just come have a sip of juice if you don't want to eat," the voice called out again. I couldn't ignore it any longer without seeming surly and rude so I crumpled up my drawing of my parents and us on our 9th birthday and tossed it in the trashcan. It wasn't as good as the real thing anyway.

I sucked up the lump of anxiety in my chest and joined the family in the kitchen. I sipped lightly on a glass of orange juice, avoiding the spread of food in front of me. The smell of the bacon was making my stomach flip. _'It was cooked flesh! I know people like to eat it and it is the circle of life and all, but…eeeew!'_ I thought. Silver elbowed me. I realized I was squishing up my face. Oops.

"Are you ready for school?" Esme started to make conversation.

"Yes!" "No," Silver and I both said together.

"Starting a new school is daunting, I know. You will feel better about it in a day or so, dear," Esme consoled me. I gave her a small smile. I liked her. She was a very kind woman and she reminded me of our mother. She knew what to say, when to say it, and when to back off. That was what I needed. Space.

"I love it! I can't wait to start over! It is fun to be the new kid. All eyes on you! A lot of new people to meet. New friends! You know, a fresh start!" Silver babbled cheerfully. I wanted to smack her.

"That's a positive way of looking at it, Silver. Good for you," Esme praised. Ok, NOW I wanted to smack my sister!

"Not a fan of school?" Alice questioned me. She was just as bright and bubbly as Silver.

"Nope…to me it is Hell without the flames," I blurted out without sensor.

"Wow…tell them how you really feel!" Silver laughed. I looked down, embarrassed, and took a tiny sip of juice. I caught Edward smirking at me from the side of the room. He looked slightly amused.

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The ride to school was interesting. Edward drove, Jasper in the passenger seat, then Silver, Alice and I in the back. Rosalie and Emmet drove separately. Silver was busy sharing visions with Alice. It was the newest discovery. Not only could Silver share with me, which in my mind made sense because we were identical twins and used to be one egg in the first place! It seems that wasn't enough special powers for us to have. She can share with others too. Not well, granted, but she had tried it out on Alice and it worked, and then Carlisle and he was able to pick up some of her sights as well. They compared it to a fuzzy television screen. They could see bits and pieces of what she was showing them, but not clearly.

I didn't show it, but I was a bit annoyed that I was so lame at my talent. I could hardly summon a vision of the next day's weather forecast let alone share it with someone. And Alice was so good at it, I was even more self-conscious about sucking! Silver was in her own World. She didn't see how it bothered me. Alice was too busy soaking up everything Silver could show her about her past. It was all new to Alice and I can see how she would be enthralled to see her past life. She was the only one of the Cullen Family who had no recollection of their human life.

Edward was watching me through the rear view mirror at one point and I rolled my eyes at something Silver and Alice were chattering about. He cracked a smile and nodded at me. I smiled back. Thank goodness someone else saw how annoying my sister was. It endeared me to him a bit.

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The day was long and tedious. The kids in Forks were WAY too friendly. It was nuts! Every one of them introduced themselves in the hall, in the gym, in class. Silver was in most of my classes. She hoped around from student to student, happily introducing herself. She had a bunch of followers already. Something about my sister was addictive to other kids our age. She radiated confidence and they all wanted a piece so she had dozens of potential friends before it was lunch.

I was the other twin. They were interested in me and thought because we looked identical that we were both 'cool' but by lunch a lot of the hype of being twins died down and they all got the idea that Silver was the alpha. It suited me fine. I was waiting for things to settle down so I could slip under the radar again.

At lunch, Silver was still being a dutiful sister to me. She walked beside me through the cafeteria looking for a seat. I saw the Cullen's sitting at a table near the wall. Alice waved us over. I noticed that the room was divided. All the middle school students were sitting together on one end and the high school students were on the other. Because Forks was so small they the middle school and high school joined so that they shared a gym, outdoor field, administration office, and cafeteria. The classes were separate though. There middles had the east wing and the highs had the west wing. I wondered if sitting with the older kids would look odd.

"Hey girls! How is your first day so far?" Alice asked eagerly.

"Great!" Silver spoke up right away. I felt all their eyes on me. I shrugged.

"Meh," was the best I could get out of me. Jasper and Edward both seemed to understand what I meant. They nodded in acknowledgment.

"Well, have a seat!" Alice told us, slide out two chairs. I did as I was instructed and sat. Silver remained standing and said,

"Uh…would you mind if I sat over there with that table? I kind of told them I would meet them at lunch," Silver asked, trying not to offend Alice. You could tell it didn't bother her at all.

"Sure! Go make friends!"

"Come on, Devan!" Silver motioned to me. I sighed and sat in place.

"I'm good. You go,"

"You sure?"

"Yup,"

"Okay…I'll see you in History then!" Silver sang as she glided away towards a table of her new friends. I turned back to the table, not wanting to watch the whole scene.

"How are your classes?" Alice asked. I swallowed a nibble of my sandwich and mumbled, "Okay,"

"Any cute boys?" She pressed. I wasn't sure if she was serious or teasing.

"Um….," I hummed. The others looked just as confused as I did.

"Too soon to tell, I guess," Alice decided and she sank back into Jasper's arms with a tiny smirk on her impish face. They were a really cute couple I had to admit. They very subtly showed their love for one another. Rosalie and Emmet were far more blatant about their relationship. It made me uncomfortable to see them kiss or cuddle because they did it so passionately that they should, as the expression goes, 'Get a room'!

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The remainder of the day dragged on. I had one class in the afternoon without Silver. It was Math. I was kind of glad, because Silver was not very interested in the subject and therefore she slacked off and liked to borrow my work and pass it off as her own. It is called cheating, but Silver calls it 'a loan'.

I also enjoyed math because it was a challenge. I liked figuring out the problems. Each one was a puzzle. Silver found it boring I think because she could look up things from the past to give her formulas and such so it was almost too easy for her. I tried to explain to her that she didn't have to use her talent, but she didn't understand that concept. I on the other hand, I didn't look for the answers. Not that I was sure I could see them if I tried, but I liked to solve the problems on my own.

Math class also proved to be my one place to make acquaintances without Silver's charm radiating over me. A quiet girl, named Jodie, sat next to me. She was polite, smart, and not too pushy. We casually worked on our own assignment and when we got stuck, we worked together and helped each other to solve the problems. There was no talk of boys, clothing, or being BFFs and that is how I wanted it.

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I was glad when the day ended. You can only have one first day and now it was over. Soon the hype would die off and we would be just two other students at Forks Middle School. The car ride home from school was the same as the one to school. Silver was busy chatting to Alice about her day. I think I actually heard her say something about a 'cute boy' but I tried to block it out. We pulled up to the white house at three pm on the dot. Edward drove quite fast!

I slammed the Volvo door shut as I exited it. Everyone was already inside and it was just Edward and I trailing behind. He parked the car and came up behind me like a flash of lightning. I turn my head to check it out. I lost my footing and tripped, hitting the ground hard. My book bag scattered and a bunch of my things fell out.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you,"

"You didn't,"

He eyed me questioning if I was lying or not.

"Are you hurt?"

"No," I grunted, getting to my feet. My hands stung a bit, and my knee had hit the ground first so it throbbed, but I was not about to complain about this. Edward swiftly picked up all my books and shoved them back into my bag.

"Thanks," I told him as he handed it back to me. Then we continued in through the large, white doors. The main room was so large and empty that my footsteps echoed. The piano caught my eye.

"Do you play?" Edward asked.

"Um, ya. I mean…I used to," I answered him.

"You are welcome to play whenever you like, you know,"

"Is it yours?"

"It is ours. But yes, I am the one who plays it mostly," I confided in me.

"I bet you are very good," I said. He shrugged and shied away. I looked back over to the piano. He motioned for me to go over to it. So I did. It was too tempting to resist. He stood against the wall and watched me. I took a seat on the bench and touched the keys softly. I took a moment to reminisce about how much joy music had brought me in the past.

I turned to look at Edward, but he was no longer there. And so I played. It wasn't anything in particular. Just music I could see notes for in my head. It was a bit melancholy, but that was how I was feeling lately so I guess it made sense why that was the music seeping out through me and into the beautiful instrument. The acoustics in the room made the notes sound almost haunting. I felt more happy in this moment than I had in weeks. I didn't even care that the whole house was probably listening to me.

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**Coming up next…a fight breaks out! **

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	11. Sisterly Bonding

Chapter 11- Sisterly Bonding

Silver's POV:

"Oh, how wonderful. Edward is playing again," Esme swooned. She swayed lovingly back and forth to the piano music filling the house.

"That's not Edward," I said. I recognized the tone and style of the music. I would know it anywhere. Esme turned to me to explain. I added, "It's Devan,"

"Really? I didn't know she played,"

"She's wonderful," Alice added. I think they were both shocked. Devan was very talented for her age. She had completed her Royal Conservatory of Music Exams when she was only 8. She refused to do any recitals after that. She was more interested in playing for herself. She wrote her own music and would sit at the piano for hours. Since our parent's deaths she had not played as much. It aggravated our Grandmother's migraines. I had to admit, the sound of her music made me tearful. It was beautiful. I got lost in it and when I snapped out of my trance Alice and Esme were smiling at me softly.

I knew if I went downstairs Devan would realize we were all listening and she would stop. So instead I quietly snuck to the top of the staircase and sat down, slipping my legs through the railings letting my feet dangle down over the room beneath. I hugged the wooden rails and rested my head on them. I closed my eyes and took in the powerful, yet gentle melody.

Some time passed. "I see your feet, you know," I heard. I had fallen asleep? I snapped my eyes open and looked down. The music had indeed stopped and Devan stood down below on the main floor looking up at me. She was smiling. That was a welcome sight.

"I missed the music, Dev,"

"I know," she said as she walked carefully up the spiral staircase towards me. I pulled my legs back in and stood myself up. She reached the top and stopped in front of me. I couldn't help but pull her in and give her a big hug. I held it for longer than usual.

"Ok-kay, release me now. I still require oxygen to live!" she gasped, teasingly. I released her and we both giggled and headed to our bedroom to do some schoolwork.

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"Hey…have you seen my red nail polish, Dev?" I asked as we were doing homework in our room. I had misplaced a few things since Esme and Alice had redecorated this room for us. That nail polish was my favorite. I had picked out my outfit for school tomorrow and knew that red nails would look great with it.

"Nope," Devan mumbled, not looking up from the notebook she was writing in. I pouted and kept searching. Despite what Devan thought, this was important.

"You should get to work. We had a lot of work to do to catch up with everyone," she told me seriously. I stared at her with my eyebrows raised. She went back to her homework. As much as she hated going to school, she seemed to enjoy the learning aspect of it. Devan took schoolwork very seriously. To me it was just something I had to endure until graduation. I just liked to go to see my friends.

I still hadn't found my nail polish, but it was getting late and I really needed to get something done for school tomorrow. So I cracked open the books and tried to focus. Maybe I was tired or something because I couldn't concentrate. I kept flashing in and out of the past. It was uncontrollable in a way. After hearing Devan play this afternoon, the nostalgia was making me emotional so I kept seeing our parents and bits and pieces of our life before the accident. I usually didn't mind so much. But it was distracting me today.

"Is that all you've got done?" Devan breathed down my back as I was trying to work.

"What is it to you, go away," I told her and waved her away from me to shoo her.

"We should go eat. I can hear noise coming from the kitchen," she told me.

"Uh…okay. In a second," I agreed. I rubbed my head. Doing homework was useless now anyway. I couldn't focus on the textbook long enough to soak up anything useful.

"Hey, Dev?"

"Yep?" she answered as she put some of her things away in a drawer.

"Can you try to see what tomorrow brings? I need to know which teacher will check homework and which ones I can get away with not completing the assignments for,"

"You shouldn't have goofed off planning what to wear-" she began to lecture me.

"Ya ya…cut the crap and just do me a favor, will ya?" I told her sharply. I was getting annoyed. She plopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. A second later she said, "All I got was that we need to bring umbrella's because it is going to pour rain all day tomorrow and the eves will overflow. If we don't bring umbrella's we will get soaked,"

"Try again,"

"I can't, Silver," Devan moaned. She gave up so easily. It usually didn't make me this annoyed, but I was in a sour mood.

"You aren't trying hard enough!" I called her out.

"I am so, it is not that easy!" she snarled at me.

"Sure sure…and seeing the past is easy!" I snapped at her.

"It is so. You get to know it all and see any moment you wish to whenever you want. How bad can that be?" she said, with a snotty little laugh.

"It is not all fun," I told her, rubbing my temples again. She really had no idea. I had never told her all the horrible things I had relived through my visions. I know she had on a few occasions seen accidents that were to come in the future and it scared her, but at least it was in the future and it was subject to change. Nothing I saw could be changed. It was set in time. Every wonderful, and every not so wonderful event that had ever occurred was there for me to tap into.

"Whatever. You get to see mom and dad whenever you want!" She said in a snarky tone. It was a sore spot for her, I could tell.

"It is not all good, Devan. Please let this go. You have no idea how lucky you are not to see what I see,"

"You are such a liar!"

"I am not! Now cut it out. You are pissing me off!" I raised my voice at her. She was equally upset. We stared at each other for a moment and then she turned her attention to something on the floor and bent down to pick it up. It was my red nail polish. I reached my hand out for her to pass it to me. She just held it in her upturned palm and gave me a dirty look.

"Hand it over, Slime!" I told her forcefully.

"Not until you admit you have it good seeing what you see,"

"Devan, I don't want to get into this right now. You have no idea what you are talking about! Just give me my polish!"

"Admit it! You are lucky to see the past. You can see Mom and Dad whenever you want. Like it is real. You can see it, feel it, smell it.….it is like you are right there with them. I would kill to see what you see!" Her words cut into me and make my heart race and the blood pump through me with force. The anger was too much and I lost it!

"YOU IDIOT! It is not all good. Sure I see the good times! What about the bad?! Did you think of that? Do you think I LIKE seeing those things over and over? I HATE IT! Did you ever think what it would be like to SEE the accident? To see our parents DIE? To FEEL it? Like I was right there!!" I screamed at her. She was scared. She looked like I had slapped her. The shock and upset was spread across her face. She was silenced for a moment.

"You are lying!"

"I wouldn't lie about something like this," I scolded, still angry. My face was red for sure. She looked just as angry with me for some reason. I didn't know why. She was in the wrong here, I felt.

"Give it to me!" I demanded looking at her hand with my polish in it. She scowled and said, "Say you made that up!"

"Devan I am losing my patience! Hand it over! NOW!" I screamed.

"Not until you admit you're A LIAR!" Devan yelled back. Her eyes were welled with tears.

That put me over the edge. I leap at her and pounded into her. We landed on the floor and rolled into the desk. She wouldn't let go of my nail polish. We thrashed around, bumping into the desk again, then into the bedpost of her bed. She was weaker than I was, but she was just a stubborn so she wouldn't let go no matter how much force I used to hold her down. I was so done with this scene. I decided to end it. I put my mouth, teeth spread, down to her hand holding my polish and sunk into it! She shrieked, "You bit me!" in disbelief and the polish slipped out of her hand and I snatch it up just as a pair of cold hands pulled me off Devan. I hadn't even heard anyone enter our room.

"Enough!" someone demanded strongly.

"Let go of me!" I shouted and pulled away from the grasp of what turned out to be Edward's hands. He released me and I backed up into the wall. Esme, Alice, Jasper and Carlisle had all entered as well.

"This is over. No more!" Esme spoke authoritatively. She looked very serious. Devan gulped and stood up, holding her hand. Carlisle went to her to take a look.

"You bit her?" Jasper asked incredulously. He was holding back a grin.

"Not hard!" I spoke through my teeth. Alice and Edward exchanged a look. I am sure they also saw the irony in me biting her.

"The skin is not broken," Carlisle told Devan. She nodded and took her hand back. What a baby. I had hardly bit down and she was playing it up by rubbing her hand like it was terribly painful.

Speaking of pain, Jasper suddenly looked like he was suffering from something. He backed out of the room carefully. Everyone noticed." You are bleeding, Silver," Alice explained to me. I wasn't aware of it until she told me. I thought my lip felt a bit hot. Carlisle walked up to me to inspect. He zeroed in on my face and I realized my lip was bleeding. I must have split it somehow.

"It's no big deal," I protested. He was very calm, but I felt like he was disappointed just in the way he held my face and examined me with his eyes.

"Come, let's get this cleaned up," he told me, gently placing his hand on my shoulder and with the other he held in front of him in the direction of the door. Alice and Esme stayed behind with Devan.

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"Well, Silver, you are good to go. The cut is not very deep. It should heal well in the next few days," Carlisle told me after cleaning my lip with some gauze. He had put some liquid glue on it and let it seal closed. I nodded and sighed. He burned the blood-covered gauze and sealed up the antiseptics and put everything back in his bag.

"Listen, Silver. You have had a rough evening. I know you were upset, but in the future you need to refrain from resorting to violence. It is not tolerated in this house. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir," I agreed. I felt like I was about 2 feet tall. He smiled kindly and didn't seem angry with me.

"Okay, we are through here then. You let me know if you need anything, all right?" He told me with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," I told him as we both exited the bathroom where he had cleaned up my cut lip. I actually felt a bit silly now that I had calmed down. Not that Devan hadn't been out of line, but I wish I had been able to control my anger better. The whole house must have heard the majority of our outburst. That was kind of embarrassing.

I walked back into our bedroom to find Devan alone sitting on her bed. She looked up at me and didn't speak. She bit on her lower lip and her face told me she was sorry. I sat down on my bed and crossed my legs.

"I'm sorry," Devan whispered softly. She barely looked at me.

"Me too," I said back, equally as quiet. We sat in silence for another moment.

"Is your lip okay?"

"Yep. How is your hand?"

"Good," she said, in a short laugh.

I smiled and looked to see she was also smiling. It was actually kind of funny. In a house full of vampires, we were the ones biting each other! She was thinking the same thing. We tried to hold out laughter in, but it made it worse and she burst out in laughter. I couldn't help but join her. It hurt my lip, but I couldn't stop laughing. We were both laughing in such a way that no sound came out except the odd gasp for air. I threw my pillow at her playfully and it bounced off her.

We didn't have to say anymore. All was forgiven. We took turns painting each other's toenails and Devan helped me get some more of my homework completed. A lot had happened today. It was our first day at a new school and our first big fight since moving in with our new family.

Thank goodness it was over!

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**So…what did you all think? Silver is not all rainbows and moonbeams, eh? **

**Please leave a review**


	12. Time Flies

Chapter 12 – Time Flies

Devan's POV:

**Timeline update:**

**March** (Grandmother passed away. Moved to Forks. Met vampire family. Discovered new talents. Started new school. Started to play piano again. Fought with Silver. Made up with Silver.)

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**April** (I became more comfortable playing piano in the house. Edward was quite the musician himself and he was helpful when it came to composing music. Silver joined dance team, soccer team, rugby team, and swim team. Silver got called down to the Principal's office twice this month. Once for note passing and once for disrupting other students by talking. She was being Silver while I focused on schoolwork and not ending up as one of Alice's dress up mannequins. Both Silver and I were getting more comfortable with the Cullen Family….minus Rosalie. She still scared me a little.)

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**May** (Same ol'! Silver was busy with activities that showed off how much more co-coordinated she was than me and I continued to do well in school. I broke my wrist in gym class while trying to jump a hurdle. I couldn't play piano with the cast on. Boo! Silver was still a social butterfly with all the girls in our grade looking up to her. I had one close friend, Jodie, from Math class.)

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**June** (Graduated from grade 7 with Honors. Silver got detention twice this month due to her inability to keep her mouth closed in study hall. She was grounded for a while so in our free time we decided to learn sign language. It was useful when we were at home and needed to have a private conversation. I got the cast off my wrist just in time for summer holidays.)

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**Present time. July 9th:**

Today was our 13th birthday. I was dreading the fuss that was about to be made over us. Alice was her usual hyper self, but today it was like she was Alice on crack. She no longer withheld her speed from us. She flew by us so fast she blurred as she prepared for the party we were hosting this evening.

Alice appeared out of nowhere right in front of me and I gasped.

"Pink or Green?" She asked cheerfully, but like she was in a hurry. I let the breath I was holding onto out.

"Say no to drugs, Alice!" I teased. She beamed like I had complimented her. But she smiled widely, still waiting for an answer.

"I don't know…green, I guess," I mumbled apathetically.

"Thanks!" She chirped and she was off in a flash. This party meant as much to her as it did to Silver. Those two were scarily alike in a lot of ways. I was not into parties at all.

I felt nauseous thinking about it. Alice had told us we could invite whoever we wanted and Silver knew pretty much all the kids in our grade so it was like a class reunion already and we had just gotten out of school for the Summer. The idea of seeing all of them again made me want to fake an illness. _'Maybe Carlisle would lie for me?'_ I daydreamed. _'No…he doesn't lie. Darn it!' _My dream bubble burst.

"Hey Dev? What do you think? Should I wear my hot pink, Versace halter with my black, Gucci pants and my open-toed, Gucci flats? Or…my gray Marc Jacobs' dress with my Louboutin pumps?" Silver asked me with a very seriously. I was trying to finish writing a composition I had been working on for the last few days. She taped her foot impatiently until I looked up. She held a bunch of various clothing items in her arms.

"I honestly have no idea what language you are speaking. Ask Alice," I told her. She looked disappointed. She and Alice had been on my back for months to go shopping with them each time I had refused. I know she wished I would care more, but I couldn't if I tried.

"Alice is busy,"

"Ask Emse,"

"She out,"

"Ask Rosalie,"

"Ummmm…." Silver said with a slight smirk. Even though Silver was less frightened of our stunningly flawless 'sister' she still didn't voluntarily seek her out. I smiled back at Silver.

"She's working on Emmet's jeep," Silver said out loud as an excuse for why she wasn't asking for Rosalie's advice just incase vampire ears were listening.

"Right…then you just choose. Yeesh…it is not a big deal!" I told her.

"It is a big deal. It is our birthday! I want to look nice. And whatever I don't wear, you can wear. We should both look moderately the same tonight,"

"Why?" I whined.

"Because we are sisters. Twins! And this is our party all our friends will be here and will be dressed nicely too. We have to make and effort to look our best," she explained. I rolled my eyes. It seemed rational to Silver, but it sounded like a load of dung to me. "Besides…Alice has put a lot of time and effort into making this a special party for us and she would be sad if you looked like….you," she added, as she looked my up and down and waved her hand in the air. I was wearing my favorite navy blue jeans and a white hoodie. It wasn't like I was in a beater and hot pants!

I didn't move or say anything. We just stared at each other for a long moment before I flatly told her, "I am bored with you now! Please leave,"

I went back to my music. From the peripheral vision I saw her huff off, taking her pile of fancy clothing with her.

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As the party grew nearer, I became more and more nervous. I was trying to make myself a cobb salad to eat because it would be a while until the guests would arrive and the snack food would be put out. I was just about finished preparing it, but as was slicing the cucumber over top of the bowl of lettuce, Alice whizzed by and startled me. I jumped and the knife slid into my finger smoothly.

"Oh dear," Alice said as smelled the blood. He nose was crinkled up and she held her breath. She softly called for Carlisle. Oh, great, just what I needed…another accident for Silver to mock me for.

"I am sorry, Devan. I didn't mean to startle you," Alice apologized. She was not breathing still. How odd that must be, to not have to breath. Topics like this kept me up at night. There were so many things about being human I took for granted. Bleeding was not one of them.

"It's not that bad," I said before I checked out my hand. I hardly felt it. That is why it surprised me to look down and see red droplets scattered over my nicely prepared salad. That made my stomach flip. I got a bit dizzy. Blood did that to me. I just couldn't handle the sight or smell of it for some reason.

"Come on, Carlisle will take care of it," she told me as she ushered me out of the kitchen and down the hallway where Carlisle greeted me with a familiar smile. I shrugged. I have had plenty of bonding time with him over my many mishaps in the 4 short months I had lived with the Cullens. He was the only one who didn't make fun of me for it. And for that I was truly grateful.

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All cleaned up and my finger bandaged like a mummy we filtered out of Carlisle's study and back to the kitchen. I heard a car pull up. It was Edward and Jasper. They had gone out for a drive to see how fast they could make it to Canada and back. They met us in the hallway just as Emmet and Rosalie were coming in from the garage. Esme and Alice were just adding the finishing touches to the staircase decorations.

We all entered the kitchen at the same time. I was going to clean up my mess. I could see they were all noticing the smell of my blood and I didn't want them to be uncomfortable for long. I stopped short in front of the counter. There were a few droplets of red on the marble top, but where was my bowl? Then I noticed Silver at the sink with the bowl in her hand. _'That was thoughtful of her. To clean my mess.'_ I thought.

"Oh! Thanks, Silver. You didn't have to clean that up. I was coming to do it," I thanked her kindly. She knows how much the sight of blood gets to me. It was nice of her to clean up for me. It was unusual, she normally wasn't quite this thoughtful, but still a nice gesture.

She looked up at me with confusion spread across her face. "Uh…what do you mean? Was this not for me?" She held up the bowl, that was empty.

"Oh no. I didn't see this coming!" Alice gasped. Everyone else was silent. Silver looked confused as I began to realize what had happened. Alice hadn't seen this coming to warn Silver because I was planning on eating that salad!

"Eeeeew!" I squealed. Blood made me ill to think about just on it's own. This was a whole knew level of queasy.

"What? I thought you left the salad out for me. It was good!" Silver piped up in an innocent tone.

"Silver!!!" I blurted out and covered my face with my hands. Emmet was laughing so hard now that Silver was just getting more confused.

"What? I'll make you a new one!" She offered defensively. She still had no idea and I was trying to say the words, but the thought of it was overpowering my ability to speak. The room began to spin a bit and I was seeing white spots. I knew this feeling.

"I need to sit down," I said and I slumped to the floor with the aided help of Esme.

"Ooookayyy! What the heck is going on?" I heard Silver demand. Carlisle was being overly attentive and being the good doctor that he was as he helped me to the sofa.

"Devan cut herself," Alice explained. Emmet was still laughing. Edward was leaning against the wall, smirking with amusement. I don't know where Jasper was. I couldn't see him.

"So? What else is new?" Silver asked with an attitude.

"So…I bled all over that salad!" I managed to blurt out. Everyone's eyes went to Silver for her reaction. She was still holding the empty salad bowl and was looking down at it with her lips pursed and a contemplative facial expression. Seconds ticked by and then she spoke.

"Oh well!" She peeped with a quick shrug of her shoulders and then she carried on with putting the bowl in the dishwasher like nothing had happened.

"How did you not notice?" I asked. I was feeling less dizzy now that I was sitting down.

"I dunno. I thought it was hot sauce or dressing or something," she spoke so casually.

"But…but….EEEEW!" was all I could say.

"It didn't taste bad. So who cares! What's done is done!" She calmly said and looked around to everyone with innocent eyes. She truly didn't seem to be upset by this. I was not the only one who was staring at her. Emmet finally took a break from his chuckling to say, "It is official now! You are one of the family!" There were smiles all around. I rolled my eyes. We were not a normal family. That was for sure!

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It had been a few hours since my sister had snacked on my plasma. It had been forgotten by all but me it seemed. I didn't bring it up again, but each time I thought of it, I got woozy. I just couldn't handle blood. The irony of that would have been funny if I wasn't so grossed out by the idea!

The party was about to start. Emmet, Jasper and Rosalie had going hunting for the duration of the evening to avoid the crowd of delicious smelling humans that would be piling into the Cullen house in moments. It was mostly Jasper who wanted to step out. He was always more tempted than the rest of the family.

It would be the first time for a group of humans this large to be in the house. Until Silver and I, the Cullen's hardly ever had anyone in. Silver brought some of her friends over a few times, but we tried not to bring anyone home because we felt it wasn't fair to make the rest of the family put on the 'human act' in their own home. And only a few times in the last 4 months did I have Jodie over to study. Jodie preferred to study at her house. So did I.

"Hey! I put your outfit on your bed for you!" Silver scolded me.

"I will get dressed in a minute," I told her. I didn't look up from my composition. I was getting writer's block and with the piano being downstairs where the party was set up I was unable to use it to unblock my mind.

"And we still have to do your hair!" She groaned. It was actually making her antsy that I was not prepared. Was it childish of me to enjoy seeing her squirm? Normally, I would have protested more loudly, but with my finger still wrapped up in white cotton and throbbing I did sort of need help with my hair. So when she pulled on me to get going, I only slacked back a tiny bit.

"Alice!"

"Right on it!" Alice chirped as she appeared with a comb and can of hair spray. Yikes! They were going to make me look like Silver. I knew it! Not identical, but I was going to be dressed in clothing that was far too pretentious, in my opinion, and shoes that would hurt my feet and cause' potential danger to my ankles. Oh, and when my hair was done, any spark or flame would surly ignite me!

I was grateful for Alice's vampire speed as she quickly threw my hair up into an elegant, twisty bun and let the rest curl casually down my shoulders. She sprayed me down with hair spray when she was done. Silver had insisted on my outfit, but I refused to wear the hot pink halter-top. It was far too pink of a pink for me! She found a yellow, Oscar de la Renta blouse of Alice's that was less blatant. And they both took pity on me and let me wear my favorite black flats. **Check it out by going to my profile**

Silver decided to wear the grey dress and black pumps with some ridiculously expensive jewelry that Alice lent her. They were all designer pieces, but it was lost on me. Even her jewelry was fancy. I thought of our mother and how she would not had approved of us wearing clothing that cost more than an average families monthly cost of living. **Check out Silver's outfit by going to my profile**

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As the party got started, Silver joyfully jumped from guest to guest chatting merrily to each one. Alice was chaperoning and playing DJ but she was also leering at me and motioning for me to go join in. I cringed and stepped out of my dark corner.

"Oh my God! You look just like Silver!" Courtney Danes exclaimed loudly over the already loud beat of music. She and a few others of Silver's wannabes were all standing in front of me making a fuss over my new look.

"You look so nice," Tanna Smith offered.

"I can't believe how much you look like Silver," Rachel Barret added.

"I know, hey? If Silver wasn't right over there I would have totally thought you were her!" Courtney said. I was not amused. I couldn't help but keep a straight face.

"We are identical twins," I replied seriously. The all stood there with fake smiles plastered on their faces. I gave my best fake smile and turned around and walked away.

"Whoa…rude!" I heard one of them say. I didn't care.

Jodie finally arrived and found me. I was grateful to have a friend to stand with and talk to. We didn't stick out so much as a pair.

"Wow, Devan! This is some party. Your sister is amazing!" Jodie said about Alice.

"Ya. She is," I answered and looked up to see Alice beaming a huge smile my way. I smiled back as if to say thank you. It was a very nice party. I had to admit. Even if I didn't like being the center of attention.

"Dance!!!" Silver sang as she pounced into me. She tried to pull me along with her to the dance floor. She was too strong. She somehow managed to drag me right into the middle of the room. I felt so awkward, but leaving the dance floor now with everyone's eyes on me would have been more embarrassing so I danced with Silver. I just pretended that it was the two of us in our room dancing like we did on occasion. Jodie was super shy and didn't want to dance either so I used that as my excuse to duck out so I could keep her company.

We were chatting about what our summer plans were. Jodie had just finished telling me she was going away for a month. I was disappointed. That meant that I wouldn't have an escape goat anymore and would probably end up being forced to endure shopping trips with Alice and Silver.

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Somewhere in the middle of the evening, Jodie had to leave so I was left to stand alone in my corner. It got obvious what I was doing and Silver decided to drag me around with her. A few boys I didn't recognized showed up and Silver and I greeted them.

"Hi Cody!" Silver shouted over the music, "Thanks for coming,"

"No problem! Hey, you said I could bring my friend. This is Seth," Cody introduced. Seth smiled comfortably and waved. He wasn't from our school. I knew he must go to the school in La Push.

"Helllooo! It is nice to meet you," Silver polity responded. I smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. I caught Alice looking over to us from the side of the room. She was not smiling anymore. The music changed beat and Silver gleamed with excitement. Cody smiled and suggested we go dance. Silver didn't have to be told twice. Soon we were all on the dance floor about to start moving when the music stopped and Alice proclaimed it was time for cake. She pulled us away from the boys and over to the table with a big, chocolate cake displayed on it.

It was like the rest of the night sped up. After cake, Alice kept jumping from obligation to obligation and every time Silver was about to sneak away to the dance floor she would find a reason to stop her. Silver didn't really notice. She thought nothing of it and when Alice told her to chat with one group of people or that it was time to open presents she just did as she was told. I noticed though. I tried to figure out why. It was right after Cody had arrived.

Then it all became clear to me. A vision came to me and told me why Alice was acting oddly. I could see Silver and Cody's friend, Seth, dancing together, but it was not tonight. They were wearing different outfit. Also, Seth was taller and less of a string bean than he was at the present time. They were smiling and laughing as they danced, not as friends would, but they were dancing slowly and closely. They were looking at each other like Jasper and Alice looked at each other. They were in love.

The vision ended swiftly. It was all very clear to me now. Alice must have seen that future too and was trying to keep them apart. It was slightly confusing to me. I know we were young, but the vision was in the future and Alice was always wanted to chat about the boys in our school. I thought of anyone she would have been thrilled for Silver to have a boy that she was interested in.

I looked over and Alice was eying me suspiciously. I nodded and hoped she knew that I was trying to tell her I had seen it too. I was confused though. Something about Alice reacting this way wasn't her just being a protective sister or aunt. I had the feeling she knew something I did not.

To be continued…..

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**Please Review!**


	13. Time Flies Continued

Chapter 13 - Time Flies Continued

Silver's POV:

**One year later exactly!**

I was ecstatic! There was so much to celebrate! It was mine and Devan's 14th Birthday, we had graduated from Middle School, and we had 2 months of summer ahead of us. All of this was reason to have a party. Alice style! I thought that nothing could ever top last year's party, but so far tonight's party was even better!

One whole year had gone by so swiftly. Not a lot had changed. Devan was still the Honor Roll student that everyone praised. She was still composing music. She and Edward had been working on a more intricate composition for the last several months. She had taken up playing the guitar and electric guitar as well as the piano. Edward was Devan's role model. He was as talented as Devan hoped to be one day. And I think Edward enjoyed having Devan as his apprentice. Now, instead of being introvert separately, they would spend hours secluding themselves from the rest of us to study music together.

I was still not a great student. My grades were decent. I passed everything and got mostly A's and a few B's, but I found it hard to stay on task. I really did try to behave, but I would forget myself and get detention on a regular basis. I was either late for class, talking in class, or not done my homework. Note passing was too much fun to resist as well. Esme was not impressed having to be called in to have a chat with the principal about my work habits. I got grounded for a month for that one.

I was kept busy with drama club, dance class, swim team, volleyball, soccer, and rugby. I loved competitive sports. I had quite a few friends, but I only really only enjoyed spending time with them while we were doing some sort of activity. I would never admit it to anyone, but I knew they were not the nicest girls to be friends with. They would stab me in the back if it ever came down to it. I was friendly with them and they were fun to hang out with at school or at practice. On the weekends, though, I preferred to spend time with my family.

Tonight was a fun event. All my 'friends' were here and the rest of our class. We actually had more people attend this year than last year. Devan was disgusted that we had a bigger turn out than last year. She had requested we keep it simple this time. Alice didn't understand what that meant and the party became even more elaborate than our 13th Birthday. That party was awesome except for how it ended so quickly with Alice practically shooing everyone out at the crack of 10pm.

Last year's party left her acting oddly. The way the party had ended was all a blur to me. All of a sudden Alice decided the party was over and ushered everyone out of the house in a rush. I remember being too excited and high on sugar to think into it very much, but since then I have always wondered about Silver and Alice's behavior that night. I had asked Devan about it once, but she pretended she didn't know what I was referring to. I had never brought it up again. I knew it was a lost cause and she wouldn't tell me.

So far everyone was having a great time. Even Devan, who was chatting with her friend Jodie by the staircase. She had been stubborn and not dressed up this year. She let Alice do her hair, but she insisted on wearing her favorite blue jeans and a semi-casual, black t-shirt with the same flats she had worn last year. I think it pained Alice that we had still not been successful in bringing Devan over to the fashion side! However, Devan loved the 'Marc Jacobs Roxy Pendant Charm Watch' that Alice and I had given her as a gift and wore it proudly.

Alice and I had gone shopping for the perfect dress and I choose a black, Oscar de la Renta mini dress. Alice lent me her Christian Louboutin strappy heels. And Alice and Devan had given me Chanel Rose earring studs so I wore those. They were super cute! **Check out Devan's pendant watch and Silver's outfit and jewelry by going to my profile**.

"How do you not twist your ankles in those things?" Devan asked me as we were waiting to cut into the 4-tiered cake that Esme had ordered specially for us from Port Angeles.

"Skill! A lot of skill," I answered. The shoes were not unbearable to wear, but I was suffering a bit in the name of fashion tonight.

"I just don't get it. It has to be painful," She thought out loud. Alice was shaking her head as she eavesdropped from across the table.

"These are a work of art. It is my duty to model them for the world!" I explained with a sly smile. Devan coughed over a laugh.

"Riiiight," she said sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at her. Then we ate cake!

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I was dancing up a storm with a group of friends when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It took me a second to stop moving and stablize myself to face the person who had poked me.

"Hey!" I breathed heavily.

"Hi…I hope it is okay I came by,"

"Of course," I said. It was Cody's friend, Seth. I saw him every now and again when I hung out with Cody after school. Cody and I were both into sports and Forks only had one big field to practice on so we ran into each other often. And Seth was coming around more often lately to watch Cody's practice. We didn't really know each other well. I was a bit surprised to see him here. Cody was in Toronto visiting cousins so he hadn't come to our birthday party this year. Seth had come on his own.

"I was hoping maybe we could have that dance?" he asked. His smile was so genuine and adorable. He was so much taller than me. Thank goodness for the 3 inch heels or it would have really hurt my neck to look up at him. He caught my confusion and explained, "Last year we were about to dance and then we never got around to it,"

"Oh, right. I remember, " I told him with a nod. I was lying. I had not remembered that detail from last year's party.

"Well?"

"Oh…uh, yes. Dancing is good," I managed to say. I was a bit flustered. That was unusual for me. He seemed pleased with my response and he offered me his hand. I am sure my mouth was hanging open, so I closed it tight and smiled. I took his hand and let him walk my slowly to an empty spot on the dance floor.

We danced for what seemed like only moments, but when the music stopped I realized that we had been dancing together for many songs. I hadn't looked around the room since I had started to dance with Seth. All my focus had been in one place. That was unusual for me as well. But it felt so normal.

I took the break in the music to take a look around. There were quite a few people staring in our direction. Mostly carefree, curious expressions of classmates, probably wondering who Seth was since he didn't go to our school. The faces that caught my attention next were Devan's and Alice's. They were both standing together by the stereo system and they were so close to each other like they were sharing a secret with one another.

"Seth? Would you please excuse me?"

"Sure,"

"I have to go talk to my sister," I said as I began to walk away. He stood so still I felt guilty leaving him. I spun around after a few steps and whispered loudly, "Thanks for the dance," with a hugely obvious grin on my dimpled face. He smiled back and lowered his head in a smooth nod of acknowledgement, never taking his eyes away from me. I somehow found the will to turn back around and keep walking towards Devan.

I was smitten. And it felt wonderful! I squealed silently to myself. The joy began to fade as I grew nearer to my sisters. They were still peering at me unhappily.

"Hey! What gives?" I asked with a not so pleasant tone. Alice looked slightly annoyed.

"What do you mean?"

"The music? Why did it stop?"

"It is getting late. Parents will here picking up in a bit," Devan spoke up for Alice.

"Boo!" I booed. How lame!

"Silver, you should go say your goodbyes to everyone, make the rounds," Alice suggested. I could see that the party was winding down as I scoped the room. I hadn't noticed until now.

"Ya, I guess so," I agreed, not happy about it. I started to say goodbye to people, but I kept seeing Seth standing by himself waiting for me. _'Oh, crap on the lot of them!_' I thought, _'they only came because it is the only good party worth going to in this crumby town. They can see themselves out!_' and with that I ditched the crowd by the door and headed straight for Seth.

Alice beat me to him. She was saying something to him that made him frown. I hurried to get to him, but I was too late. He didn't look at me as he brushed by me in a hurry to leave.

"Seth?" I asked as he went by. I turned to follow him. He didn't respond so I called out, "Seth!" When he still didn't show any signs of hearing me I changed my confused frown of reject into an angry glare and faced Alice.

"What did you say to him?" I demanded of her. I don't think I had ever been so upset with Alice as I was at this moment. I knew something was up and it had to do with what had happened at last year's party too. It suddenly dawned on me that both times it was after Seth had arrived that Devan and Alice started to behave insanely.

"I simply told him that the party was ending and suggested it was time he headed home,"

"Yah. Right!" I huffed. Devan stood at the doorway waving the last people away. Esme and Carlisle, who had been outside directing cars and helping everyone get home safely, came inside and shut the doors. Devan came to stand over by Alice.

"Wow! What a great party. Thanks you guys!" she told them all. I got the feeling she was trying to change the topic and lighten the tone of the moment. Carlisle and Esme didn't seem to be in on the charade, but looked slightly concerned as well.

I decided to a bit of investigating of my own. After leaving London more than a year ago I had not had to suppress my visions at all and my skills of pin pointing specific moments in the past had improved vastly. I took a rough breath and closed my eyes to focus better.

"No Silver! Don't!" I heard Devan say as I slipped into my vision. I saw Seth's face go from happy to angry as Alice spoke these words, _'It is best if you do not come around here again. I want you to stay away from Silver from now on. Or there will be trouble. Do you understand me?_' I snapped out of it swiftly and focused on Alice who knew what was coming. She braced herself a bit. Her eyes were sad, but I was so hurt by her betrayel that I didn't care how she was feeling.

"Why?" I asked softly, barley being able to get the words out as tears welled in my eyes. I felt so betrayed. She was my best friend. Besides Devan, anyway. "How could you be so cruel?"

"Silver, you don't understand-" she began to explain. Then the anger hit me and I lost my temper.

"I don't need to understand! You are AWFUL!"

"Calm down, Silver," Esme tried to console me, but I ripped away from her.

"I will NOT calm down,"

"Silver, I am sorry, let me-" Alice started.

"NO!" I shouted, "I never want to speak to you again!" and with those final words I took off towards my room.

"Silver, w-"

"No, let her go," was the last thing I heard as I got to the top of the spiral staircase. The tears were streaming down my checks and I knew my face was red. I passed Rosalie in the hall.

"What the? Is everything all right?" she questioned me with care as I nearly ran into her. I was surprised she even looked concerned. She was the most selfish, conceded person I had ever met. "No!" I snapped and then went into my bedroom and slammed the door. My face finally broke into an ugly cry, but I didn't make a sound as I crashed into my bed, face first into my pillow. I was just so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn't control them if I wanted to.

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I was still face down in my pillow when Devan came to bed. I had stopped crying and was just lying there, numbly. I felt the bed slouch a bit and a hand on my shoulder lightly.

"Silver?"

"Go away," I muttered.

"I am sorry," she whispered. I felt that she was sincere. I didn't blame her. Even if she had seen this coming, it was not her who had so rudely told Seth to leave me.

Maybe I was acting irrationally. I had only really got to know him more as we danced together. I had just begun to like him and now he would never speak to me again. My heart ached. I was devastated. What the heck was happening to me?

"I know you are angry right now, but I am sure Alice has a good reason for what happened," Devan tried to console me. I didn't move. "She loves you,"

The words didn't make sense. I was still to numb and too angry with Alice to consider any reason that would make what she did okay in my mind. "Well, I hate her," I firmly uttered into the pillow. It was barely loud enough for Devan to hear, but I had the feeling that the rest of the family could make it out. I didn't care.

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The next morning I woke with a gross, fuzzy feeling in my mouth. Sometime during my self-pity party I had fallen asleep still face down in my pillow. I lifted my head up and saw black make-up smeared all over it. I took a breath and sat up, my head ached from dehydration. I had cried a lot of tears last night.

Devan was not awake yet. I looked down at my beautiful dress and felt sick. It was all twisted and wrinkled. That was not the way to treat a dress of this prestige. My shoes were off. I wiggled my black, painted toenails to examine the damage. I had some red marks on my feet where the strapped has cut me from dancing so much. Nothing major.

Devan rolled over and opened her eyes. It took her a minute to focus in on me. We both knew this was a morning meant for silence and privacy. She signed, '_good morning'_ to me. I nodded. _'How you feeling?'_ All I could do was shrug. I needed a minute to think. _'Alice feels awful'_ Devan's hands told me. _'Good!' _I flicked at her. I guess I was still mad at her. However, the rage I felt last night had died down.

_'Do you want something to eat?'_ Devan asked me. I shook my head. It was jarring to my heavy head. I brushed the stray hairs out of my face and looked at Devan sadly. _'Worst birthday, Ever!'_ I firmly signed. I smiled slightly and she returned the smile. I think she was relieved that I was already joking about it. The one thing about me was that I didn't stay down for long. I didn't like the feeling of being depressed so I make a conscious decision to perk up. I stood up quickly with a determination to get on with the day! The room spun and I flopped back on the bed, defeated.

_'Water?' _Devan asked with her hands. I smiled to say yes. She got right on it and left the room. I sighed and looked around. What was I going to do today? I had no school so the whole day was unplanned. I looked outside and the sun was streaming through the tree branches. I stumbled out of my bed and over to the large, floor-length, glass window and took it all in. It felt nice and warm. The sun rarely showed it's face here.

Devan came back and handed me a glass of water. I guzzled it down without a word. She stood beside me in silence. That was one good thing about Devan. She was supportive when I was upset, which was not often, but it really helped to have someone who would always care for you. I pushed the empty glass back to her to free my hands.

_'I'm going out! Wanna come?' _

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	14. La Push

Chapter 14 – La Push

Devan's POV:

Silver was getting ready for the day as if last night had not happened. She cheerfully danced around our room, putting on a more casual outfit than usual, but still a lot more fancy than an average 14 year old would wear. I got dressed in jeans and a hoodie. My signature look, I suppose you could say. I put on my runners and my checkered hat and packed my shoulder bag with a few things I thought we may need. Silver finished sliding her Sephora lipstick over her lips and then looked at me with a neutral expression. Once our eyes met she grinned and signed. _'I need to borrow your black flats'_

I laughed a silence laugh in her direction and signed back, _'Sore feet. I told you those shoes were ridiculous'_ with a smug attitude. She stuck her tongue out and her hands told me, _'No. My feet are great. We are walking and my only flats don't match this outfit' _I sighed and nodded. She already had them on anyway. I was just pleased that she was not sad anymore. It was an odd occasion to to see Silver that sad. She rarely cried or got sick. Those two things always made me worry about her because I was never prepared for it.

'_Come on. Let's go' _she signed and started to head to the door. "Where?" I asked out loud. She didn't answer. I guess we were not giving up our privacy just yet. She stopped at the door and waited for me to follow.

'_Breakfast?'_

'_No. I have money. We'll buy food,'_

'_I will just tell Esme that we are going,'_ my hands told her. She looked annoyed, but stopped and let me go. _'Meet you outside then' _she signed before I turned away from her. We both headed out of our room in separate directions.

"Esme?" I asked softly. One thing about living with vampires if there is no need to yell for anyone. It had taken me a whole year practically to get used to that concept. I had to be constantly reminded there was no need to raise my voice in the house. Esme appeared at the end of the hallway as I walked down it. She smiled lovingly.

"Yes, dear?" she asked. I stopped in front of her and told her.

"We are going out. It is so nice today. Is that okay?"

"I don't see why not. Do you need a ride to town?"

"No thank you. Silver wants to walk," I said. Her face fell a bit at Silver's name.

"How is she?"

"Uh…okay. I guess. I am not really sure, but I think she just wants to forget about it," I answered honestly. Esme understood.

"Well, Alice has a good reason for what she did. She would never do anything to hurt either of you, you know that,"

"Yes," I agreed.

"Be safe. Make sure you watch your footing,"

"I will," I laughed. She smiled and rubbed my shoulder.

"Do you have your cell phone in case you need to call one of us for a ride?"

"Yup, see you later," I said as I took off down the staircase.

"Be back for dinner," she told me, which meant 6pm on the dot. That was one of the house rules.

"We will!" I called out. Oops! I had forgotten again about raising my voice. I hurried down the stairs and to the door. Edward was sitting by the piano. We had plans to hang out today, but Silver needed me more.

"Tomorrow, Edward. I am sorry," I told him as I went for the front door. His eyes were kind.

"Don't be sorry. I understand"

"Thanks,"

"Please be careful. Watch were you are going," He replied. I shot him a glare and went out the door as he added, "and don't fall in any holes,"

I thought I heard him chuckling behind me as I walked out to the front yard where Silver was waiting for me.

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We made it to town in about an hour. Silver was walking with a bounce in her step. I was slightly confused. She has been so distraught last night. I was expecting her to be more upset today. She was chatting on and on about Courtney's new pool and how she was going to have a pool party sometime this Summer. I was not interested, but I didn't tell Silver that. I was worried she might crack and all the anger she was holding in would be directed at me. She sensed my fake enthusiasm for the topic.

"I am fine, you know,"

"You are?"

"Yes. You don't have to pretend to care. I appreciate the effort, but it is actually creeping me out a bit. It is not the Devan I know and love," We exchanged smiles. That was nice of her. Maybe she was feeling better after all.

"So…what now?" I asked as we hit the main road.

"Hmmm…I dunno. Food?" she suggested.

"Oh, thank goodness. I am starving!" I exclaimed.

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We finished our breakfast at the diner. Silver had pancakes and I had eggs on toast. I realized that it was nearly noon already. We had really taken are time eating. Silver reapplied her lipstick and then looked at me like she had just had an idea.

"Oh! I know!"

"What?" I said as I gulped down my orange juice.

"We should go to the beach!"

"The beach?"

"In La Push! Tanna says it is really nice. She surfs there with her brothers sometimes. And last Summer when the gang went you had a broken wrist so I didn't go," She said. I wasn't sure if she was holding that against me.

"Is it far?" I asked unenthusiastically.

"No…not at all. And we have not been to the beach since we went back to Australia to visit friends that one summer! It will be so much fun!"

I didn't want to argue. She was so thrilled at the thought. I smiled and agreed. She beamed with joy and shoved her stuff into her bag. Then she slipped a few bills under the saltshaker and stood up. I guess that meant it was time to leave. I quickly finished my orange juice as I stood up. I managed to place it down just in time. Silver was already taking me by the hand to leave.

"What's the rush?"

"I dunno. I just want to get to the beach!" she sang.

This was going to be awful. I hated going to the beach. The sun was too hot. The sand got in everything. And it kind of smelled like fish. To me it was overrated. Silver could not be deterred. She walked so fast that I tripped twice as I attempted to keep up with her pace. I didn't hurt myself, but I had to endure Silver rolling her eyes at my klutziness.

We walked for about 30 minutes and then we reached La Push. Through the forest we walked towards the blue ocean that glimmered with sunlight. I had to admit. It was beautiful. Even if I didn't like the environment I was in for various reasons, I could appreciate its beauty.

Just as we hit the sand my bag rang loudly. Silver looked ticked at me when I reached into my bag and opened the silver phone and put it to my ear.

"What are you doing? Alice demanded.

"We are in La Push. At the beach. Why?" I answered, a little stunned from the tone of her voice.

"I lost you. I can't see your future when you are there. What are you doing there?"

"We didn't plan on it. Silver just decided she wanted to see the beach,"

"Come home, now Devan,"

"But…why?"

"Just do as I tell you," she instructed.

"Well. I…."

"Listen, Silver will--" Alice began to say something, but then Silver took the phone from me. She had heard Alice's voice since the volume was so loud.

"We'll come home when we are ready. Stop telling us what to do!" Silver barked into the open phone without putting it even close to her ear and then she snapped the phone closed.

"Silver!" I cried out loud. "That was rude!"

"Don't worry. I will take full blame and punishment when we get home. I am not ruining this. Not because of something Alice says. It is a perfect day and the beach is beautiful. She is probably just jealous that she can't come out in the sunshine!" she spat venomously.

"I doubt that it the reason," I rationalized.

"Who cares? Let's go for a swim!" Silver said. Her mood switching instantly from annoyed to extremely cheerful. She began to strip off her clothing and kick of my black shoes.

"Silver…it will be cold," I whined. I wanted to be supportive and go along with her, but I hated the ocean. It was too cold, salty and sandy for my taste. "Plus…I will probably drown, knowing my luck. And I told both Esme and Edward I would be careful while I was out today,"

"Stop being such a wimp and take off your cloths. It will be fun!" She snapped, but with a cheery smile that was almost hysterical.

"Fine," I sighed and I slowly took off my hoodie and jeans. I looked around to make sure we were alone. That would be the cherry on top of this outing. To be seen in my underwear by someone is didn't know. Or worse! Someone I did know! The coast seemed clear so I followed Silver into the surf.

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I couldn't believe it. I was actually having fun. The water was cold, but once you got used to it, it wasn't so bad. And the waves were not too powerful so we rode them in, flipping around like rag dolls as they rolled into the shore and died down. I stood up and flipped my hair out of my face and laughed. Silver stood up a few feet away. She laughed along with me.

"This is wonderful!"

"Ya…I am having fun too. It was a good idea, Silver!" I admitted.

"You see. You should follow my lead more often,"

"Hah! Ya right!" I laughed. She splashed water at me. I splashed her back and thus started a splash war that turned into to wrestling match in the slow tide. Sand had to be caked in our hair before Silver decided she had enough.

"No more," She gasped for air as she tried to stop laughing. I sat up and released her as she released me. I breathed heavily to catch my breath. We looked at each other and she said, "You are sandy!"

"You are sandy too," I retaliated. She giggled and stood up.

"Let's go rinse off the best we can and then dry off in the sun,"

"Okay. Sounds good," I agreed.

We were able to get the majority of sand rinsed off, but not all. I felt like a giant, human salt lick as we sat on big pieces of driftwood in the sunshine. I pulled lotion out of my bag and poured a huge dollop into my palm and extending my hand to Silver.

"You brought sunscreen?" she asked dismayed by the idea.

"Ya. It is sunny out!" I answer reasonably.

"You are such a mom," she teased me.

"Fine. Don't then. I just thought we might need it," I pouted. I don't know why I was explaining. Silver didn't care. I slipped my hat on leaned comfortably on the warm wood and relaxed. Silver passed me a magazine from her bag to flip through.

An hour or so later I noticed the Sun was getting closer to the horizon line of where the ocean hit the Sky. I looked in my bag for my cell phone to check the time. I couldn't find it so I dumped out the whole bag. It wasn't there.

"Silver! I lost my phone!"

"Seriously?"

"No. I am just pretending I lost it to get a rise out of you. I am that kind of girl," I shot sarcasm at her, "Of course I am serious!"

"Okay. Chill out. Let's get our cloths back on and go look for it,"

"Ya. We need to head home anyway," I agreed.

"We will just retrace our steps…..minus the stint in the ocean. That would probably prove pointless even if we did find it in there," Silver rambled as we dressed. Our under-things were perfectly dry by now. They had dried long ago, actually.

We went back the way we came and even checked the shoreline, but we couldn't find it. This was just my luck. This was the third cell phone I had banished. I had dropped the first one and it broke. The second one somehow, and I still think Emmet was behind it, got washed in the dishwasher.

This was like the straw and the camel. I was going to be teased for sure by the others. Carlisle was so kind, but at some point he was going to snap and really scold me for being such a klutz. I was still waiting for that day. After we gave up hope of finding my cell, we walked into the forest and I prayed today would not be that day.

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Silver and I were just about leaving La Push when she stopped suddenly and leaned against a tree. I spun around and looked at her. She was not looking well. And her skin in the shade of the trees was now more visible to my sight. It was pink where the sun had hit it.

"Silver?"

"I think I am going to throw up," She carefully spoke. Before I could say or do anything she knelt down and vomited behind a tree. That was gross. I knelt down next to her and pulled her hair back. I fanned her with the magazine she had given me earlier. I didn't have any water on me so I knew we needed to call home for a ride. We couldn't walk all the way home. When she seemed to have everything in control I reached into her bag to get her cell to call for a ride.

"What are you looking for?" she asked weakly.

"I am going to call for a ride. You can't walk home like this. I think you have sun stroke,"

"I didn't bring my cell," she mumbled as she closed her eyes and sat back to lean on the trees. That was not good. We would have to walk to the diner to use the phone, then.

"Come on," I said taking her bag and helping her up. "Put your arm around me and lean on me,"

"Thanks," she managed to say. She was not well, that was for sure. And he skins was hot to the touch. Her temperature was too high and she was starting to dehydrate.

"Just let me know if you feel like you are going to be sick again so I can stop," I suggested. She nodded and we slumped along the forest path back towards the main road. We kept having to stop for Silver. She continuously thought she was going to throw up, but most of the time it was a false alarm. At this rate we would not make it home for dinner. It was probably 6pm already. The sun was still out, but because of all the trees in Forks, one of the Cullens could drive out to get us without the sun hitting their skin if we called from the diner.

"Silver? Devan?" A voice called out. Silver as resting on a tree stump and didn't look up. It was Seth and another boy. Seth didn't seem as friendly anymore. I guess what Alice had said to him last night had stuck.

"Hey," I said awkwardly.

"Are you all right?" Seth asked Silver. His coolness melted as soon as he saw her in her weakened form.

"She has heat stroke," I told them. "And we lost our cell phone so we couldn't call for a ride. Do either of you have a phone?"

"No, sorry," the older boy answered. He was very handsome too. He had dark brown eyes like Seth but his hair was shoulder length instead of short and spiked.

"We will take you home," Seth offered looking to the other boy who nodded along.

"I will run and get my car. You bring her up to the roadside. Meet you there!" he told Seth. And then he ran off. Seth didn't say a word. He gallantly picked my sister up into his arms and cradled her as we walked to the nearby road.I trailed beside them.

"Thank you, Seth," I said. He nodded. He was so quiet. Silver was conscious, but she didn't say a word either. I think she was either far too embarrassed or too weak to speak.

A tiny, beat up car that putted along comically drove up with the tall boy scrunched up in the front seat. I would have normally been amused and poked fun at the sight, but I was too worried about getting home. Silver was so hot. I knew it was a bit of a drive to out house so when I saw the large puddle at the side of the road I took off my hoodie and I carefully wet it with the clear rain water. It wasn't the best, but at least it was cool. Seth helped me take off Silver's blazer so she was just in her tank top. I wrapped the wet hoodie under her armpits and around the back of her neck. Then Seth picked her up again. We all loaded into the tiny vehicle and drove to our house in silence. Silver scared me a little by falling asleep. She woke when I called her name, though, so that calmed me a bit.

It took us 20 minutes to get home. The sun was pretty much out of sight when we pulled up. The whole family filed outside. They heard the car driving up, no doubt. I got out first as Esme ran to me.

"Silver is sick," I told Carlisle as Esme embraced me. He hurried past to get to Silver.

"Here, give her to me," I heard Carlisle say.

"I am so sorry. I lost my phone and Silver didn't have hers. We tried to get to a phone, but she was too ill," I rambled. Esme hushed me and tucked the hair hanging in my face behind my ears. Then she began to usher me inside, behind the rest of the family. I turned to see if Seth was still there. He stood outside the car, looking very concerned. I broke from Esme's grasp and ran to him. I pulled a scrap of paper and a pencil from my bag and wrote Silver's cell number.

"Here. Take this. Wait a day or so before you use it," I said and put it in his hand. He didn't smile. But I could tell from his eyes that he was grateful.

"Thank you," I told him again and then I ran back to the house to catch up with the rest of my family who were all inside. I heard the car drive off as I got in the door.

Alice was waiting for me. I gulped thinking about how we had ignored her plea for us to come home when she had called early this afternoon.

"I am sorry, Alice. I didn't know,"

"I just wish you would have listened,"

"If you knew she'd get sick, why didn't you say?"

"I didn't get a chance. And when you enter onto Quileute's land it is hard for me to see you,"

"I didn't know," I said. I felt so guilty. Like it was all my fault. I hadn't even thought to try to see what the future held. I didn't use my talent very often. I didn't like to use it very much. Alice could read the guilt on my face and she smiled sweetly and reached out for me.

"Don't worry. Silver is going to be fine," she whispered soothingly into my ear as she held me and rubbed my back. I hugged her back tightly. Silver and I really were lucky the day we found her and we all became a family. I couldn't imagine life without our Great Aunt Alice.

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	15. I Promise

Chapter 15 – I Promise...

Silver's POV:

I barely remember the ride back to the house. I knew that Seth was there, but we didn't speak at all_. 'I wonder if he is angry with me?'_ I thought. I was too sick to focus on that thought very long. Carlisle was holding me now and he hurried me up to my room and placed me down on the bed carefully.

My head ached and my skin was sore. I couldn't shake the feeling of nausea. Esme came in and sat next to me with a bucket, like she was anticipating what was to come. Then a wave hit me and I lurched up and leaned over into the bin. It was all a blur after that. Someone undressed me and cooled me down with cold, damp towels. I was too sick to be shy about any of it at this point.

They kept forcing water down my throat-- saying it was for my own good-- because I was dehydrated. I tried to resist. I didn't want to throw up anymore, but they were too strong and insistent. Besides that, Carlisle said if I didn't take the water orally he would have to take me to the hospital to have fluids administered intravenously. I did not want that—I wanted to stay in my own bed. So I obeyed and kept up with the cycle of drinking water, throwing up water, drinking water, and so on….

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I am not sure how much later it was when I woke up. I couldn't remember falling asleep. It was dark outside now. I rolled over and looked at the ceiling. My skin screamed as it rubbed against the thin white sheet that covered me. I defiantly should have put on the sunscreen.

"Silver?" I turned and saw Carlisle sitting on a chair next to the bed. No one else was in the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thank you," I mumbled gently. Was I in trouble? I was beginning to remember what I had done. I had yelled at Alice, hung up on her, stayed out past our 6pm curfew and then showed up in Seth's arms. Even though I didn't know the reason he was forbidden yet, I knew that the family was all unhappy about what happened at the party. I was too weak to look into the past. And a part of me was scared to look. I didn't want there to be a real reason for me to not see Seth again.

"I am glad. Your temperature is back down now so the worst is over. I would like you to remain still for a while. Esme is bringing you some fresh water and if you feel like eating she will make you anything you'd like,"

"I'm not hungry," I said with the best grin I could manage. I had just spent hours up chucking. The thought of filling up for another round didn't thrill me. He smiled warmly and nodded. He stood up in one smooth move and told me, "I will tell Devan you are awake now. She has been worried about you."

I nodded a bit, careful not to move my head too much. I could still feel that it was heavy.

He left the room. In the minute I was alone I realized that I was in nothing but my underwear. That was slightly embarrassing. The only person I ever let see me in my underwear was Devan. I know Carlisle is a doctor, but he had become a father figure to me in the last year and a half so the thought of him seeing me in my hello kitty underpants and bra made me want to die just a little bit. I gulped back my pride and decided to not think about it. Then Devan came in.

"Hey," she whispered.

'Hey' I signed. She smiled when she saw that I was no longer an invalid. I was actually feeling a lot better than before. She sat on the foot of my bed.

'Bad day number two! You look like a lobster,' she signed with a hearty grin. I almost laughed, but I was too weak so it came out as a single cough. I nodded in agreement and replied, _'_Just a bit sun-kissed.'

'You look so much better though.'

'I am,' I moved my hands slowly.

Her smile faded and she put her head down before finally telling me, 'Alice wants to talk to you when you feel up to it.'

I didn't know what to say back. I knew I could avoid Alice forever. And being this ill made me soft. The anger was hardly there anymore. I nodded and said out loud, "Ya. I want to talk to her too,"

And within seconds there was a knock at the door. Alice's black, spiky head poked in first. She looked optimistic. Devan got up and waved her in. Alice didn't waste any time. She danced over and gracefully replaced the spot that Devan had vacated at the foot of the bed. Devan ducked out to give us some privacy. At least one person in the house could allow for that.

Alice crossed her legs and put her hands in her lap, like a child would do to keep itself on task.

"I'm sorry," I told her.

"I know," she said knowingly because she had seen this coming. I rolled my eyes very slightly at her confidence. She smiled and continued, "I am sorry too. I never meant to hurt you. I love you."

"I know!" I shot back at her in the same confidence of knowing she had used on me. She smiled as she caught my meaning.

"So, can we seal this apology with a shopping trip?" She asked in true Alice nature. My laugh came out in a single 'hmph!' again and she added, "When you are feeling up to it, of course."

"Sounds like a plan," I mumbled. I was glad it was so easy to forgive her. I hated being on the outs with anyone. And being angry with Alice for just one day had really taken a lot out of me.

"So, all is forgiven?"

"Mmmhmmm," I agreed with a touch of hesitation. We both paused for a second so I added, "Holding grudges will give me wrinkles!" Alice laughed liked a song.

"Good!" she said firmly now that we had come to a truce.

"But Alice…." I added. She waited for it, but I think she knew. She may have seen this coming or it was just obvious what I was going to say, "I want to know the truth."

Alice grinned softly and agreed, "Oh course. Not now. You need to rest."

"Okay…tomorrow then," I decided. She didn't refuse. She simply got up, and glided up to me and kissed my forehead.

"I am glad you are feeling better. See you in the morning," she whispered as she gracefully exited the room. I sighed and closed my eyes. I was very tired. Sleep came easily now that the conflict between Alice and I was resolved.

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I woke up in the morning feeling 95% better. My skin still hurt and felt warm. Other than that, I was great! I sat up in bed and took a few gulps from the water glass beside me on the nightstand and then stood up. I walked to the vanity and looked in the mirror at my pink skin. It was not as bright as last night. I was still wearing my hello kitties. They were childish, yet so cute! I smiled at the thought. I took my robe from the coat hanger in the corner and put it on.

The events of yesterday had wiped me out. It was nearly 11:30am. I usually got up bright and early just out of habit. There was a pain in my stomach I rarely felt. Hunger! My stomach rumbled, but I had a quick, cool shower first. It felt great against my skin. I put on a simple black camisole with a built in bra, to cut back on the number of straps against my skin, and a white skirt. I braided my hair in two French braids that joined at the back of my head into one and then applied some lipstick.

I hurried to the kitchen to get something to eat. The smell of bacon nearly made my mouth water.

"Morning, darling," Esme said, looking up from over a frying pan, "You must be hungry. I have made your favorite. It is almost ready."

"Thanks! I am ravenous! I could eat a whole pig!" I blurted out. I was never very good at censoring my thoughts. Devan, who was sitting at the bar looking through a magazine, raised her eyebrows at me and said, "Ew!"

I hopped up on the stool next to her with more caution than usual. My skin hurt when I moved. I gave her a toothy grin.

"You are so burnt!" she laughed.

"I am not. I am sun-kissed," I squeaked, examining my arm and shoulder.

"You are burnt! Burnt like toast!" She said, poking her finger at my skin. I smacked her hand away.

"Hey! I am just saying!"

"Well, don't!" I snapped cheerfully.

"You are just lucky I am not doing the 'told ya so' dance!" she shot at me with glee in her eye. I glared at her. She was enjoying this too much. She giggled and went back to her magazine.

"Well, you laugh now.... but in a few days when this turns into a glorious, golden tan you will be jeal-ooous!" I sang inches from her ear. She pretended to ignore me. I sat back, smiling... satisfied with myself. I hadn't had a tan since I was a kid and we lived in Australia. Normally, Devan and I were very fair. We kind of fit in with our vampire family. If we were a bit better looking and didn't have violet-blue colored eyes we would fit perfectly. I beamed at the thought of having some color on my skin for a change. My daydreaming was broken by Emmet's voice.

"Wow…you two look like twins today!" Emmet said as he entered the kitchen. I noticed that Devan had on a black camisole and white shorts and her hair was braided in a single braid down the back of her head. **(To view this and Silver's outfit for chapter 15 check my profile)** His comment made me grin. We looked very similar today. That was for sure. "If you weren't all toasted I would never know which one is which," He added with a sly smile. He had been listening in on our conversation. I picked up a spoon and chucked it at him. He caught it with ease and laughed at me.

"I know the concept is difficult to grasp, Em....but we ARE twins! One egg...two people," I patronized as I fingered the numbers one and two on my hands for him. Emmet didn't seem understand I was insinuating that he was stupid and ignored my last comment.

"How ya feelin' this mornin'? You do look kinda pink?" he asked and he put his hand on my upper back to poke at me. His touch was so cool I got a shiver. He moved his hand quickly and apologized, "Oops, sorry,"

"No…do it again. It feels nice," I told him.

"Aw…someone wants a bear hug!" He chanted loudly and came at me with his arms out. He chuckled as he wrapped his huge arms around me very cautiously. I giggled and hugged him back. It was funny to me how gentle he was trying to be. _'I wonder where Rosalie is?' _I thought. She and Emmet were usually joined at the hip. I kind of liked talking to Emmet alone without her there. He was a silly goofball, but really fun to hang out with. He was just a humongous, dopey, immortal teddy-bear.

Alice came running up behind me and hugged me from behind, squishing me in between the two of them.

"Hey, we're a sandwich," I blurted out. I was in a silly mood. Emmet snorted a laugh.

"Ya! A human sandwich!" Devan pointed out with a raised eyebrow and a one sided smile. Everyone laughed. We were no longer concerned with the human/vampire relationship issues like we had been when Devan and I had first came to live with them.

Alice's laugh was like a little bird in contrast to Emmet's booming one. They both released me and let me down my food. It was ridiculous how hungry I was. I don't think I stopped eating for 10 minutes straight. It was like a marathon. I barely took time to breath in between bites. I turned my gaze from my emptying plate eventually to four pairs of wide eyes. I gulped down a bite of toast and smiled a cheesy smile and through my teeth said, "Whaaaa?" as innocently as I could with my mouth full of bread.

"You eat like a pig," Devan exclaimed in a serious, but teasing tone. I chuckled and nodded as I dipped my toast in my egg yoke and shoved it in my mouth till it was full again.

Carlisle came in the room and asked, "Silver! Good to see you up. How are you feeling?"

"Goooo—ooob," I tried to say with my mouth full gain. It came out garbled.

"What the heck is gooooob?" Emmet asked jokingly. Only he and Devan laughed.

"I am glad to see you are back to your usual self," Carlisle told me. Devan shook her head and scoffed a laugh. When my mouth was clear of food I poked my tongue at her.

"When you're done eating, Silver, I'd like to check your temperature again," Carlisle requested. The thought bothered me, I wanted to go shopping with Alice and the day was half over already. He saw the frown on my face and explained, "It was extremely high last night. It came down nicely, but I want to make sure it has stayed down,"

"Uh…okay," I answered neutrally and asked, "And then I can go out with Alice?" testing to see if I was grounded from my actions yesterday.

"I suppose so," he reluctantly agreed. He was over protective of us. It was usually Devan, though. I was happy on the inside at his answer, though I didn't show it. There was no mention of any punishment. I guess they figure getting heat stroke and sunburn were punishment enough.

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*

"98.8 degrees," Carlisle read his ancient looking thermometer. The instrument looked older than everyone except Carlisle himself. I often looked into Carlisle's past. It was the most interesting of the Cullen Family. Well…. Jasper's was too, but his gave me nightmares. Carlisle's story mind boggled me, though. He was so old! I couldn't get past it. He was the most refined man I knew_. 'The most brilliant, gentle, compassionate man in the World'_, I thought. Yet, on the outside he looked like he was my older, far more gorgeous, blonde brother.

"So I am free to go?" I asked.

"Yes, Silver. You get a clean bill of health from me. Make sure you take it easy today, though."

"Yes, Sir. Alice is making Jasper come along as our chauffeur and official bag carrier!" I beamed as I jumped up. Carlisle calmly smiled. He was always so composed and thoughtful.

"Drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun, dear," He said as I was leaving.

I nodded and sang, "Will dooooo!" and skipped out the door.

My mood was happiness personified. I was so pleased that I hadn't been punished and I had a whole day of shopping with Alice to look forward to. And even the thought of Seth didn't bring my down. I had done some snooping of the events that happened last night and I was pleased to see that Devan had given Seth my cell phone number. Now, if he would use it…that was another story. After all, I looked like a pale pink, incoherent, blob yesterday when he rescued me.

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Hours later, and Jasper up to his ears in shopping bags, Alice and I were finally done with our shopping trip in Port Angeles. It was the nearest big shopping mall we could go to without taking a ferry. I knew Alice could have gone on longer, but I was worn out. Besides, even I knew when it was time to stop and not go overboard. I had some self-control. Not a lot...but a tiny bit of self-control!

I wanted to have a chat with Alice alone so Jasper dropped us of at the edge of Boundary Rd. Just far enough from home that we could have some privacy, but close enough that Alice could carry me home through the dense woods when we needed to get back. We waved to him as he drove off up the road.

"Poor Jasper, he was so bored," I laughed. He had let his feelings be known to me sometime after he was carrying 300 pounds of shopping bags and it started to look like abuse to on lookers in the mall.

"He let you know?" she asked.

"Oh ya! And I nearly yawned at the Manolo Blahnik shoes you were showing me at the time. That is when I realized something was up!" I laughed. Alice giggled like a little bird. Then we got quiet and both knew it was time to get to the nitty gritty. I couldn't find the right words to start it off so Alice took the lead.

"I guess you want to know about why it is not best for you to see Seth anymore?"

"Ya. I just want to understand why you felt like you have to be so firm with him. Did he do something that I don't know about?"

"I am surprised you haven't looked into his past. It is unlike you to repress curiosity,"

I smiled and agreed, "I know. I guess I am just afraid to find out. I don't want there to be a reason for me to stay away from him,"

There was a short pause. Alice looked thoughtfully at me with her big, hazel eyes. She was sympathetic.

"I like him, Alice," I told her honestly. She was the first I was admitting that to. I hadn't even said it to myself yet. Her lips curled up a bit, but she didn't let a smile follow. "I really, really like him. I don't know if can stop it—even if I found out something horrible about him. It isn't horrible is it? He is a good person, right? I just know he is good," I ranted, my voice was high and pitchy.

"He is good, Silver," Alice said. I calmed down. She thought about what she was going to say next very carefully. "But his family…and the Quileute people…do not accept us."

"Us?" I asked as I got her meaning. She nodded. "You mean...They know?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes and no."

"Okay…confused now!" I stated bluntly.

"They know the legend of a treaty we made with them years ago. That Carlisle made with them. It was before Jasper and I joined the family. We are not to step foot on their land. If we do not hunt there or hunt humans in the area they have agreed to keep our secret."

"Really?" I barley managed to whisper. This was all so interesting. I can't believe I didn't all ready know this.

"Yes. But some of the younger generation does not believe the story is true. I don't think Seth is aware of what we are, although he will know the legend. His elders will have warned him. He probably thinks it is an old myth."

"Well…this is just….a pickle," I said, not knowing the right words to say so somehow I said, pickle. Alice broke from her seriousness to crack a small smile. "Well, if he doesn't know or want to believe it then it is not a big deal. Besides…if he does figure it out he is bound by a treaty, right? He couldn't tell!" I spoke slightly erratically. I was getting a bit excited. Alice didn't look so enthused.

"That is correct. He technically is not allowed to break the treaty. But there is no way of knowing if he will follow it or not. And if he does expose who we are…." Alice stopped mid sentence. I was wide eyed and not breathing. I was so intense on what she was saying.

I took a huge breath and spoke fast, "I still don't see this a good enough reason to ignore him. He is a good guy. And if he won't expose our secret then it doesn't matter. Plus, it is not like we will break the treaty. Or, you guys won't break it, or whatever…" I was getting flustered.

"We would have to move," Alice explained to me sharply, "If we were exposed, we would have no choice but to leave town."

"Oh," I sighed.

"And the Volturi…" she started, but didn't need to finished her sentence.

"Yikes. I forgot about them," I said my thoughts out loud. I did not like them. I had seen a bit of them in Carlisle's past and was not impressed. I was terrified of them actually. I was especially frightened of the little, dark haired one about my and Devan's age in appearance. Jane, was her name. I shuddered at the thought of her. Alice was waiting for me to focus back on her. I did just that by looking into her worried eyes.

"Exactly! It is too dangerous!"

"Alice. I just know he won't tell! Oh wait! You can look ahead! And see if he will tell! Problem solved!" I practically screamed as the idea came to me. Alice took my shoulders and held me still. She calmly explained that she couldn't do that.

"I can not see their futures. I can't see anything on their land. They are protected," she told me. I sighed and my stomach dropped. That was not good news. "You have to stay away from him, Silver. And stay off Quileute land. When you are there, your future goes blank. It frightened me yesterday when I couldn't see you and Devan. I was so scared. Promise me you will not go there again. Please, Silver, promise," Alice begged me. I had never seen her this desperate before.

"Okay, Alice. Okay! I will not go on their land. I promise," I told her. I don't know why I said it to her. It just seemed like the thing to do. Her beautiful face was so pleading I had just caved to appease her. She smiled gratefully and embraced me. I think she would have cried if she could have. I hugged her back and thought, '_I will stay off their land…but I won't stay away from Seth if he comes off it'_. I didn't want to be devious, but I knew I could not give him up. I so badly wanted to see him again. '_I will just have to be careful'_….

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**What do you think? Tisk tisk tisk, Silver! Forbidden love...tis great! :D Hehehee. I hope you are all still enjoying the story.**

**Next up is a bit more of Devan and what she is up to. It has been a lot of Silver drama lately so I want to shine some light on Devan a bit next chapter. She'll probably have an accident too...knowing Devan! Haha! **

**Okay! You know what to do! If you haven't already, **_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**_**. Tell me your thoughts. If you like something, don't like something. Be honest! I appreciate any message you leave. Also...feel from to ask questions. I will answer. If I don't at the beginning of the next update I will pm you.**** I promise! And I am good for it! Not like Silver! Hehehe! **


	16. My Hero

Chapter 16 – My hero

Devan's POV:

It was a few weeks after our birthday party. Seth still hadn't called and Silver was filling her time by being either her extra girly self or her extra tomboy self. All the while being dressed to the nines in ridiculously over priced designer clothing. She and Alice went shopping 3 times in 2 weeks and spent hours everyday trying on clothing, altering clothing, and putting on fashion shows for Jasper. Whom, I respected greatly for putting up with that. I flat out refused to take part in any of that madness!

And when Silver wasn't indulging her feminine side, she hung out with Emmet watching sports or rough housing around. Esme was so upset because Silver had knocked over one of her glass vases when trying to hit Emmet with one of her shoes. That is when the rule of 'No throwing things in the house' came to order. It was mainly for Silver's benefit. She was an impulsive extrovert. I, on the other hand, was the premeditative introvert.

I spent a lot of my time with my music. It was relaxing and it didn't involve wearing heels so it suited me wonderfully. And Edward was helpful. He was so talented. I don't know if I would have continued playing if it were not for his inspiration. Even though he was so much wiser, he never put me down for being less so. I felt like I could really be myself with him. Which was nice. It was a freeing feeling. He was the only person besides Silver that I could do that with.

Today was no different than the first weeks of summer holiday. I managed to waste the time away somehow lost in a daydream of music. I was sitting outside on the porch swing on the deck, strumming at the guitar Edward had given me for my birthday. As I rocked lightly on the swing, I fiddled with the chords a bit and plucked away. I was having a block today for some reason. After countless attempts to get the chords right I got fed up and banged loudly on the strings a few times in a huff. I heaved loudly in disgruntlement.

"Uh…Dev?" Edward questioned cautiously, appearing out of thin air like he always seemed to do. He was sitting on the railing of our outdoor deck, 20 feet in the air, with not a fear in the world. If it were possible for him to lose his balance and fall, it would not hurt him a bit. _'How nice that must be for him' _I thought. And as usual, he did not hear what was on my mind. _'Thank goodness for that!'_

"Yes?" I grumbled, still annoyed with my musician's cramp.

"You maybe want to take a break?"

"Hhhhm," I thought out loud. I had considered it, but it sounded like a better plan coming from him.

"It is just that you haven't seemed to get anywhere on that piece today and I think if you took time away from it you would have better luck tackling it again with a fresh, slightly more calm, perspective," He spoke rationally, but with a touch of gentle teasing. He understood how frustrated I got when I got stuck on something. I was a perfectionist stuck in the body of a clumsy, imperfect girl. Silver was just the opposite. She could care less about perfection. She did what made her happy in the moment. Yet somehow, she usually came out on top! I longed to be a graceful as my sister in that perspective.

"Ya. You're probably right," I agreed, feeling like a loser. I was going nowhere fast and the constant, repetitive chords I had been dribbling over for hours must have been irritating everyone that was home anyway. "I think I will take a break," I confirmed my decision sharply.

"Oh, thank God! I thought you'd never give it a rest!" I heard Emmet bellow from the living room. I turned to glare at him through the glass windows. He was watching a soccer game on the flat screen with Silver. Silver didn't seem to be bothered by my playing, but she laughed at Emmet's comment regardless.

"Bite me, Emmet!" I yelled.

"Come here and say that!" He taunted, with a playful grin on his face. I turned back to Edward.

"Can you kick his ass for me?" I asked playfully. I knew he wouldn't. Esme would be displeased. Carlisle didn't like it when the boys rough housed either. But it was fun to imagine someone beating up Emmet.

"I could, Devan…but I won't," Edward told me calmly.

"Ever the gentleman," I poked his way. He just smirked silently, his signature move when I bugged him about anything.

"Like Hell he could!" I head Emmet say followed by, "GO!! RUN! RUN YOU SLOW, PATHETIC, LITTLE HUMAN, YOU!!!" He and Silver were anxiously on the edge of their seats yelling at the television. Silver was holding her side, laughing so hard at Emmet who continued shouting insults at the screen.

"Nice!" I sarcastically sighed and shook my head.

"Primeval," Edward muttered, also shaking his head slightly.

"Just a pair of smelly monkeys!" I added loudly.

"Hey! I don't smell!" Silver said very seriously. I let one little laugh slip out, my back still turned to them. That got a laugh out of Edward.

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"Wat-cha doin'?" Silver asked in a singsong voice, prancing into our shared bedroom. She plopped her self on my bed beside me. The bed bounced and I closed my book to look at her.

" Well, I WAS reading. I am guessing you are here to pry me from it," I told her. Not that I really cared about the book. Jodie had insisted I read it, but it was a horrible, sappy novel about a dog named Barley!

"You are so smart, Dev!" She beamed with a hint of mischief in her eyes. She was always so high I sometimes wondered if she had an undiagnosed mental condition.

"Just say what you came to say, Silver,"

"I want ice-cream!"

"That's nice," I replied flatly, not amused.

"Mmmmmhhmmm, It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"So go have ice-cream. Not that you need the sugar," I told her plainly. She simply stared at me so I added, "You have my permission,"

"I don't need, or want, your approval. We don't have any ice-cream in the house so we have to go to out to get some!"

"So go! Get Emmet to take you in his Man Jeep!" I replied with a deep voice. Emmet was such a macho guy it made me want to laugh. His jeep was gigantic! Silver did not like my response.

"I want you to come with me," she pouted, and gave me her best 'sad puppy eyed' face.

"I don't feel like it, Silver. You go. Have a scoop for me!" I tried to be pleasant even though I was telling her, no.

"It is sunny again right now," she said as part of her persuasive argument.

"Wear sunscreen," I dryly teased. She slapped my arm. So I shoved her shoulder playfully, making her lose her precarious balance on the end of my bed and sending her flipping backwards off it into a pile of throw cushions on the floor.

"Hey!"

"Serves you right. Now take off, eh?" I told her with no pity and reopened my book.

"You suck, you know that?!"

"Yes yes…I know," I yawned and she huffed away.

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There was a knock at the door. I had fallen asleep on my book. It was dark outside now. I lifted my head as the door opened. Esme smiled warmly as she slipped her body half way in the room. I wiped my mouth in case I had been drooling. Being a human was so ungraceful and embarrassing.

"Oh, I am sorry my dear. I didn't know you were having a nap,"

"Uh, it is okay. I don't even remember falling asleep," I said, sitting up and pushing the hair off my face slowly. The air was damp and it made my hair stick to my face.

"Are you not feeling well? Should I call Carlisle?" she asked, concerned.

"No, no…I am not sick. My book is not very good," I joked.

"I see," she smiled warmly.

"Do you need me for something?" I asked responsibly.

"No, no, dear. I hadn't heard from you in a while and thought I would check in. Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and I were going to go hunting. I wanted to make sure you were okay if we left for a few hours,"

"Oh, ya, that's fine,"

"Emmet and Rosalie are out at the cabin," She told me with no indication of sexual innuendo, but everyone knew what they did at the cabin. They only went there if they need private time. I did well containing my smile as she told me.

"Okay," I said with a nod and a straight face.

"Silver so desperately wanted ice-cream," she told me. I rolled my eyes, "She seemed to think it was a matter of great importance…. so I drove her out to meet Courtney at the soda shop," She explained.

"Okay, so it is just me?"

"Edward went hunting yesterday, he is downstairs on the piano now,"

"Really?" I asked. I didn't hear a thing.

"Can't you hear him?" She asked me with questioning eyes. I lifted me head and strained to hear. Damn, my human senses!

"No!" I replied, defeated.

"Well, if you need anything he is here,"

"Okay," I said for the billionth time.

"Allright, dear. If you are sure you are fine, then we will see you in the morning,"

"Okay," I automatically answered before I could think to say something else. She smiled and gently slipped out of the room closing the door behind her. I laid back and stared at the ceiling for a while.

I put a bookmark in to save my page, even though I wasn't sure I was going to continue the novel. I had read to the 8th chapter and it still had not grabbed my interest. I placed it on the nightstand and walked over the vanity to check myself in the mirror. My hair was all messed up. It was very humid and I felt sticky and warm. I decided to take a nice cool shower.

The water was just lukewarm, but against my skin it felt a lot cooler. I decided to use some of Silver's fancy shampoo that was supposed to add more protein to your hair and make it healthier and stronger. It smelt pretty good, but it was very strong and lathered more than I was used to. I dropped my loofah and when I bent down to pick it up the running water washed some of the shampoo lather into my eyes.

"Ugh!" I grunted and closed my eyes tightly. It began to sting even more as I struggled to wipe the soap away. "Ow ow…holy shit!" I cursed under my breath. I frantically tried to rinse my eyes, but couldn't see so I slipped on the loofah. I banged the crown of my head on the porcelain soap holder. I knocked over all the bottles that were on the side of the tub making a loud crashing sound.

"Ow! Crap on things! My head," I mumbled angrily, rubbing my head.

"Devan? Devan!!" Edward called. He was right at the door.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," I frantically blurted out. I didn't need to be rescued while in the nude and still covered in shampoo lather.

"Really? I heard a crash. You are not hurt, are you?" His voice came through the door quite clearly even though the water was still running.

"I am fine! I got some soap in my eye. I am fine," I bantered and got myself standing again.

"Allright. Well…..be careful," he told me. I cringed and scolded myself in my mind. _'This is a new low, even for you. Can't even bath without mishap. Why do I have to be such a loser?!_'

I didn't know what to say to him so I blurted out, "Uh huh," as confidently as I could. I waited a few seconds but he didn't say anything else so I continued to rinse the shampoo out of my hair. _'Ouch!'_ A definite bump was forming where I had hit it on the porcelain. _'Smooth move, Devan!' _I reprimanded myself.

I got myself out of the tub with no more accidents. I wrapped one towel around my body and another around my head. My eyes were a bit red when I took a look in the mirror, but the pain was gone. Thank goodness. I tidied up the room and then headed back to my bedroom to get changed.

"Ahhh!" I gasped loudly in shock as I noticed Edward sitting on the chair by my work desk. He stood up.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he sincerely apologized.

With my hand still holding both my towel from falling down and my heart from popping out of my chest I sighed, "What are you doing in my room?"

"I wasn't convinced you were as well off as you claimed to be," he said and he held up a bag of ice. I focused in on the bag, my lips pursed. "It sounded like a hard fall. I thought you might need this,"

"I told you I was fine. It was nothing. I slipped. That's all!" I told him firmly, moving over to my bed. I faced the wall and readjusted my towel to make sure it was secure.

"You hit your head, did you not?"

"I never said…I…." I started to say. I turned and looked at him. He smiled knowingly and I gave up and admitted, "Yes…just slightly,"

"Let me see," he said, not asking permission. He was over to me in a flash.

"It is nothing. I don't need-" I tried to decline, but he wasn't listening. He gentle took me by the arms and moved me to my bed and so I sat.

"You are not bleeding," he stated.

"I know!" I answered harshly. I removed the towel from my head. My black hair fell down in wavy, wet clumps. _'At least it smells nice…that stupid shampoo!'_ I thought. He didn't notice how uncomfortable I was with him doting over me. He examined my head carefully with his cold fingertips. I winced as he probed the spot where I had hit the soap dish.

"I am sorry! Was that too much pressure?" He asked, concerned that he had hurt me.

"No no. You were very gentle. It was just a bit of a sore spot. I am fine, Edward. Really," I told him kindly.

"Have you experienced any dizziness?"

"No,"

"Visual distortions?"

"No, I am fine…I swear!" I told him once again. My tone was set to annoyed.

"Here, at least ice it to reduce any swelling. I was left at home to make sure you stayed safe. I can't have the rest of the family return home to you with a goose-egg the size of Texas on your head," He demanded, placing the ice pack on my head. It was red with white hearts on it. Silver had given it to me as a joke gift when I had hurt my ankle last Fall slipping on the bleachers in gym class. The look on my face now was the same as the look I had given Silver when I received it. Not amused!

I put my hand up to grab it from him and with the other I smacked in his rock hard hand to get him to let go of his hold. His eyes were not harsh, but he was serious. So I didn't argue with him on the matter.

"Fine! But at least leave so I can put on my pj's,"

"Very well," he agreed and bowed out. I put the ice down and got into my favorite shorts and t-shirt combo for bed. I stopped moving for a second because I heard music. It was very faint. The insulation in the house was fantastic so I rarely heard any noise of a general volume when the door was closed. I didn't feel like reading that horrible book of Jodie's so I slipped on my fuzzy slippers, grabbed the icepack and went to follow the music. **(Check out Devan's pj's, slipper, and icepack combo by going to my profile)**

It was coming from Edward's room. He had the door open and the volume up. _'He must have wanted me to hear it,' _I thought. I walked in, without knocking. The door was open, so I didn't think I had to. Besides, he would have heard me walk up.

"Come in, Devan," he said without looking at me. So I did. I realized I had never been in his room before. We spent a lot of time together working on music, but usually at the piano. I had peered in a few times so It looked familiar, but once I was inside I was stunned by the countless rows of cd's and record albums that filled the shelves.

"Whoa! You have a lot of music!" I exclaimed.

"Devan,"

"Ya?" I asked, still gawking at his collection.

"The ice is meant for your head,"

"Oh ya," I said, realizing I was holing the icepack in my hand. I plopped it on my head and winced a bit. I had forgotten there was an actual lump there.

"I thought you might like to borrow some of these,"

"Really?" I asked, amazed. Edward was always so hard to read. He kept to himself a lot. I was surprised at him for offering up some of his favorite music to me. It was so personal to him. I understood that. That is how I felt about music as well.

"Yes, Devan. I would like very much for you to find enjoyment in them," he spoke with surety. He was such a gentleman. I must seem like the worst kind of lady to him. He would have been used to women being more proper, more graceful, and far more beautiful when he was my age.

"Thanks," I said. And I meant it.

"You are welcome," he said back. And he meant it.

I felt my heart beat a loud 'thud' and the blood rushed through my body and into my face. I am sure he noticed, but he didn't say a word. I had always thought he was special in the sense that he was very studied, but until now I didn't really think he liked me all that well. I had figured he was more into the music than into helping my study it.

I walked up to his bookshelves and skimmed the cases with my fingertips, reading the titles, trying to choose which one I wanted first.

"A few suggestions?" he offered and stepped up next to me smoothly. It didn't startle me this time.

"If you would, please. I am overwhelmed," I truthfully told him. I looked at his beautiful face as he selected a few cd's for me. A one sided smirk emerged from his lips. He turned to me and placed several cased in my free hand.

"This one is just a short clip of the first music recorded in existence. 'Israel in Egypt' by Handel. It was preformed publicly in 1739, but this was recorded in 1888. The quality is poor. Your human ears will hear a lot more of the static from the phonograph then the choir singing. It's a shame, though. I can pick out every voice on it's own," He told me, his face thoughtful, and a bit conceded. "It is still relevant, no matter if you hear it clearly. When music was recorded it spread and the world began to evolve on a much faster scale,"

All I did was nod. It was like a lesson and I didn't know if I should speak or just follow along. He smiled and then continued to describe the other discs to me. It was mostly the classical composers. I had heard a lot of them already, but he had the whole collection.

"And this....this is one of my favorites," he said and place one last cd case in my hand. "Debussy,"

"Wonderful!" I said because I too knew some of Debussy's music, but Edward thought I meant 'wonderful' in general. I smiled awkwardly and added, "I will take good care of them, I promise,"

"I trust you,"

"Thank you,"

"You are welcome,"

Then it was silent again. An awkward, 'what do I say now?' kind of silence. I blinked and started to leave.

"Well...then....I will just go....and....listen to this, then," I babbled in broken speech. My awkwardness seemed lost on him. I guess he was used to me behaving that way. I was such a spaz!

"Enjoy it,"

"I will bring it back when I am done," I said as I left his room. He words followed me.

"Take your time, Devan,"

I hurried back to my room, careful not to trip and make another scene. I got into my room, closed the door, and stood there a bit stunned. I had not seen this coming. He never let anyone in his room that I had ever seen. Alice sometimes, but they had a special bond because Alice could see the future and therefore so could Edward. But my mind was still a blank to him.

I stood there, still, staring at myself in the vanity mirror. I gave a disgusted little grimace and then threw the ice pack down in the corner. I turned from the skinny, wet haired mess of a girl in the mirror and curled up on my bed with a discman that Silver made fun of me for having. She said it was 'old school'. Some of the best music was not in mp3 form. It was not like I could help that.

I couldn't help but skip to the cd of Claude Debussy compositions. I noticed his date of birth and date of death was listed on the blurb on the back of the case. _'How odd. He died the same year as Edward'_ I thought. _'Meer coincidence, but still interesting.'_ Then as I listened to the music, my thoughts all directed to the fact that Edward was indeed, non-living. It made my head hurt to think about it so deeply. He seemed so alive. _'Vampires were amazing creatures. Sad, beautiful creatures.'_

*

*

*

"Hey! Silver to Devan!" I heard a familiar, obnoxious voice calling loudly. Then something landed on top of me. I opened my eyes and Silver was indeed, 4 inched from my face, smiling like a fool. I grimaced and slid the earphone off to engage her.

"Someone is having a sugar high!"

"May-beeeee!" she sang, "Or I am just high on life!"

"Right...get off me," I grunted and shoved her off. Alice appeared in the doorway, smiling like she had consumed massive amount of ice cream like Devan. He eyes were a rich yellow-gold. _'She's high on animal blood!' _I thought.

"Hey, Dev! Sorry about your accident in the bathroom. I saw it coming from the moment you choose to have a shower, but we were too far out in the woods to come back and warn you," She told me, apologetically, but still smiling, "and I saw you were not seriously injured so I thought Edward could handle it,"

I hated that Alice was always checking in on my future. Granted, with my record of injury, she was just trying to help. It still felt intrusive at times, though. That is one reason I hated using my talent. I didn't like knowing what was to come. It was usually bad news too. Silver and Alice thought differently than I. They thought it was good to know because the future can change so if you see something you don't like you can alter it. That rarely worked out, in my opinion.

"Ya. No biggy," I muttered.

"Smooth, though. Reee-al cool!" Silver teased and laughed at me. I would have told her to 'shut up' if I had the chance to, but I got distracted.

I vision came at me hard and fast. I had not had one in months, not without trying. It was me sitting at the piano. I looked the same for the most part, but my face was a bit thinner and more defined. I actually had some make-up on which was slightly odd. And I my figure was not so stick like anymore. It was a few years in the future maybe. Soft moonlight poured in through the glass windows and made the room shimmer around me. I was playing something I did not recognize. I was not alone, however... Edward was there, with the softest, most caring smile I had ever seen grace his lips. Then I finished playing and we looked at each other. It looked like I was about to speak. To say, thank you maybe. But instead... I kissed him! **(Check out a drawing I did of this vision by going to my profile!)**

"Dev?!"

"Ye-ah?" I answered, trying to gain a grasp on reality, but the images of my vision were still blurring my mind slightly. I looked up and Silver was still grinning at me. She held out her hand with excitement. She wanted me to take it. She wanted me to show her what I had just seen.

"Uh...It was nothing,"

"Come on! I want to see! I always share with you!" She pouted, happily. She did always share her visions with me. She was so persuasive, but I could not give in. This was different. This vision had not even happened so there was no point sharing it and getting Silver all hyped up.

"No!" I told her firmly. I stood up. She would have been hurt maybe but I made up the excuse, "I am hungry, I am going to have some cereal,"

Silver shrugged like she didn't care anymore and ran over to her dresser to get something from it. She had already forgotten that I had a vision. She had no idea how shocking a vision it had been. Silver had accepted that it was nothing and let it go.

Alice's face, though told me that she was not going to let it go. As I passed by her to leave the room her smile was faded and she whispered, "I know what you saw, Devan," and I felt shivers of fear run through me. She must have seen the same thing...possibly at the same time I had. I wanted to die of embarrassment, but It was not the time. I pleaded with one single look and she nodded.

"It is our secret," she whispered. I hoped I could trust her word. I didn't want anyone to know. Edward especially. I had to make this future go away. I would never let it happen!

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**Well....what do you think? Review please! **


	17. Friends and Enemies

Chapter 17 – Friends and Enemies

Silver's POV:

It was the first day of high school today! Grade 9! We were finally freshman! I was overjoyed by this. Devan, not so much, but she seemed more eager to go back to school this year than any other year.

The summer had gone so quickly. It had begun very dramatic with our birthday party, but after the day at the beach it had dulled down considerably. I spent a lot of time with Alice shopping or Emmet watching sports. Devan was deeply into classical music since Edward had allowed her access to his collection. She was kind of a recluse, a bit more so now than before, but it seemed like sometime Devan would do so I didn't ask.

Seth never did call. I didn't let anyone know it bothered me. I had expected him to and when each week went by without a call from him I did feel let down. It is not like I knew him that well. I just knew that I liked him and there had been a very strong pull between the two of us. I thought he had noticed it too, but I must have been mistaken. I felt like a fool for making such a scene at our birthday. If I would have known then that he would brush me off I would have been happy for Alice to shoo him away! Still, though…I secretly pined to hear from him. Or see him again.

That is one of the reasons today was so great. Not just because we got transfer from the middle to the High School this year, but it also meant school sport teams would be starting and I would be seeing my sport buddy, Cody again. Which meant the possibility of seeing Seth again when I was hanging out with Cody.

It was shameless of me, I know. But I was hoping to get the chance to tell Seth off for not calling me. '_I mean, what gives?'_ There were at least a half dozen boys in my grade, that I knew of, wanting to date me. Why did I have to crush on the one who was forbidden? I wanted to know why he didn't like me back! It was petulant and childish, but I didn't care. This is how I felt about the situation.

And it wasn't like he came from a bad family. I did some snooping in the past and didn't see anything abnormal about him. He had an older sister, Leah, who was a bit of a snot, but nothing too unusual there. His mother was a kind, good-hearted woman. And his father was a tribal elder of the Quileute Tribe. He was also and avid fisherman. And Seth was gentle, kind, and playful with a silly sense of humor. Looking into his history made me sad. I longed to get to know him more.

In spite of my feelings over the Seth issue I was chipper as always. I saw no point in being sad when I could be happy! Besides…there was so much to be happy about! This year we were freshman. Alice, Jasper and Edward were juniors. Emmet and Rosalie were seniors. This was not the first high school stint for the Cullen's and Hale's. They had not aged a bit since we met them. They just dressed a bit more mature with each school year and no one seemed to question them.

I was thrilled to be in the same school with them all. Well, I could do without Rosalie, but she was part of the package deal. And she was not nearly as hostile as she had been when we had first moved in. She had even helped my do my hair a few times. She was brilliant with a brush and can of hair spray.

*

*

*

"I love it!" I told Rosalie as I checked out the twisted upstyle she had given me in less than a minute. I turned to her and reached for a hug. As rock hard as vampires were, she was even stiffer as I tried to embrace her. She let me do it, though. It wasn't that she was overly tempted to kill me, but she was stubborn and kept a distance. I decided to call her on it.

"It is just a hair do, Silver. No need for all the exuberance," she told me, her face smug.

"I appreciate your help!"

"Mmmm," she mumbled when I let her free again. This was it, my chance. I just went for it.

"Rosalie?" I began. It took her a moment to look at me; she was too busy checking out her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes eventually met mine and she gave me a glare of impatience.

"Why don't you like me?" I asked. She was stunned that I brought it up.

"It isn't that I don't like you, Silver,"

"Well, you seem dead set..." *insert pause here* "against being anything but civil towards me," I said, chocking on my pun. She smiled very slightly. "Word choice aside... I know I am right," I continued.

"I still think it was a bad call keeping you here. It is dangerous. For all of us,"

"Yes. I know that is how you feel. But the decision was made. And it has been nearly 2 years since. Are you planning on warming up at all?" I said, and then smacked my head with the base of my palm. _'Doh!'_ I thought. _'Not helping the cause!'_

"Warming up? You are on a roll this morning," she replied.

"You know what I mean, though," I told her. She took an unnecessary breath and let it out heavily.

"Yes. What do you want from me?"

"I just want to know what I did to make you dislike me so much,"

"It is not what you have done. It is who you are!" She told me truthfully.

"Ouch," I said slowly, backing away slightly, "Way to sugar coat it! So it is me in general then. That is nice to know,"

"Silver…you know how Alice get on my nerves sometimes?"

"Uh…I guess," I nodded. I knew that her perkiness drove them all a bit crazy at times, but that was Alice! She was a tiny, ball of energy and it was uplifting.

"Well…you are like that too!"

"Riiiii-ight…" I said carefully, waiting for her point.

"Of course I love her. She is like a sister to me. Like Devan is to you. But she is so darn content with who she is. She is always so up and positive. I don't know how she does it,"

"And you think I am that way too?"

"You are! And you are human too…so it is worse! You have everything that I have ever wanted."

"I can try to tone it down a bit…." I offered. I wasn't sure I could do that, but I wanted to try to help the situation.

"No, Silver. You are lucky to be that way. It is good for you. It just makes the ones who are not that way feel even worse about themselves,"

"You are unhappy with who you are?" I asked, confused. I thought Rosalie was perfect!

"Sure I look nice and Emmet is the love of my life, but this is not the life I chose."

"None of you chose this," I pointed out. She looked away sadly. I never knew she felt that way about being a vampire. Her past was an indulgent one. She was born rich, beautiful and with a life of luxury ahead of her. Everyone knew it and so did she. She was happy. And then something happened to her.

"I am really sorry about that night, Rosalie," I told her. I had seen what happened to her the night she was changed. I horrible act of brutality by her fiancé and his drunken friends had left her nearly dead. Then Carlisle found her and bit her to save her.

I had never told her I knew. I hadn't meant to pry. It had come to me in a dream. Or, rather, a nightmare!

"You know about that night?" she questioned harshly. The pain in her eyes was visible.

"Yes," I answered sadly.

"How much do you know?"

"All of it," I told her, "Are you mad that I know?"

"No…I suppose not. There is no privacy in this house anyway," she shrugged it off, but I could tell she was sensitive about it.

"It came to me in a dream…I woke up crying, drenched in sweat," I admitted. She looked like she might cry if she could.

"What is done is done!" she blurted out quickly, trying to end the discussion.

"Precisely! The past doesn't lie. The past cannot be changed. That is why I don't dwell on it. That is how I am so happy, Rosalie. That is why Alice is the way she is. She doesn't remember the past and there for there was nothing negative for her to bring with her to the present. She is happy because she lives in the present! That is the only way to live, Rosalie! And if you try, you can live like that too!"

She stared at me so intensely I got a bit frightened. Perhaps that little speech was a bit too forceful for the moment._ 'A bit cheesy as well,' _I thought.

"Is that all?" she asked, motionless, expressionless. I was getting a bit nervous. I couldn't read her and I was waiting for her to smack me or something.

"Umm…ya, I think so," I bravely told her, looking at my shoe. There was a long silence. _'Oh, crap! This is where I get bitch slapped. She is going to blow!' _I thought.

"Thank you for your honesty, Silver," she told me serenely.

"You're welcome," I meekly managed to squeeze the words out. I had not seen that one coming.

"Anything else?"

"Friends?" I asked with a big grin. She opened her mouth, but decided not to say what she was about to. So I added, "Not quite there yet?" with a cheeky grin.

"Let's just work at one thing at a time, shall we?"

"Sure," I said. I felt more confident now we had had our chat. I got up to leave. We had to get going soon or we would be late for school. As I walked out of the room I turned and smiled at her and admitted, "I really do want to be friends, Rosalie. Even if it takes a while,"

She smiled genuinely and nodded.

"I promise I will try to be more pleasant towards you and Devan in the future,"

"Do I need to check with Alice and Devan to see if you are planning on keeping that promise?" I teased. She laughed and got up to follow me.

"You do what you think is safe, Silver," she shot back and floated by me with the biggest smile I had seen on her face in a long time. I followed behind her at human speed.

*

*

*

I was the last one to meet in the foyer. Everyone was gathered near the door. Carlisle was dressed for work. Esme was lovely as she always was and the rest all had their school bag in tow.

"Have a good day, you two," Esme told us lovingly. She softly stroked, Devan's long, black hair.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Emmet inquired with a fake look of hurt on his goofy, yet perfect face. I rolled my eyes at the drama he tried to add to every day events. Rosalie felt the same way as I did and shoved him a bit.

"I hope you all have a wonderful first day," Esme re-worded her previous sentence. The only enthusiasm was from Alice who bounced a bit like it really was her first time being a junior in high school. Devan looked sour. She was still sleepy from staying up too late listening to Beethoven.

"Thanks, we will!" I told her as everyone filed out through the doors to the rain awaiting us outside.

"Silver, I know I don't need to say this, but-"

"Be good?"

"Something along those lines, yes dear," She smiled warmly, but with a parental quality.

"I am always good!" I replied back with a big smile. Carlisle and Esme smiled back, but there faces told me that I would be punished if they got into trouble on my first day. I doubted very much that would happen. It would take weeks for my new teachers to get to know me and to get fed up with me.

We piled into two cars. Myself, Devan, Edward, Rosalie and Emmet in one and Alice and Jasper in another.

"So…you two have a bit of a truce?" Emmet asked as he drove speedily down the curvy gravel road. He was beaming ear to ear. He and I got along really well. So he was pleased that Rosalie and I were trying to be friendlier.

"You could say that," she told him, her head held high.

"By the way, Silver," Edward said, "nice speech!"

"Thanks!" I answered as if he was not being sarcastic.

"What speech?" Devan asked, cluelessly.

"Silver is quite the motivation speaker, it turns out," Edward told her.

"Ya, it was the funniest thing I have heard all morning," Emmet belted. Then he quoted, "The past doesn't lie," in a mocking, girly voice.

"The past cannot be changed!" Edward mocked too, but his voice was not so feminine.

"That is the only way to live, Rosalie!" Emmet continued to mock me. We all laughed, except Devan who was still in the dark.

"You are all freaks!" she scolded, upset that she was out of the loop.

"Maybe that is what I should do for a living! Be a motivational speaker!" I thought out loud, seriously considering the option. _'I could travel'_ I thought with a wistful smirk on my face.

"Good Lord!" Rosalie blurted out, with a touch of a snort.

"I pity the poor souls that would take your advice," Devan coolly added.

"Silver and Rosalie had a heart to heart this morning and are going to try to be friendlier to one another," Edward finally explained to Devan.

"That is right. She is going to try to tone down her perkiness when possible," Rosalie spoke up, her eyes looking at me through the rear view mirror.

"And Rosalie is going to try not to be such a stone-cold bitch whenever possible!" I threw back. Laughter erupted as we all caught my pun!

"Holy, Silver! That is three death related puns in one morning. You are on a roll!" Emmet's voice bellowed with roaring laughter as he drove.

"She'd better slow that roll if she plans on staying human!" Rosalie lightly teased back. We all laughed again. _'Why was death such a funny topic in our family?'_

We had just pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School. We were still giggling when we got out of the car. Alice and Jasper who had followed closely behind us in their car were smiling knowingly as well. They had heard the whole thing I was guessing. As we walked up to the brick school Rosalie put her arm around me and whispered, "No promises on the stone-cold bit, though, Silver," with a kind, joking smile, "Can't change that, remember?" Then she released me.

*

*

*

Today had gone great. Making amends with Rosalie this morning had given me a high of confidence. I was back to being queen bee of my class from the get go. Courtney was not thrilled about the attention I was getting from everyone. She sulked all through gym class because we were both captains of our dodgeball teams and everyone wanted to be on my team. It was so immature, I thought. But if it would have been the other way around I might have been upset too so I tried my best to be pleasant to her even though she was glaring at me. It wasn't my fault that I was likable.

At lunch I split my time between two tables. My school friends and my family. My friends never dared to come say hello to my vampire siblings. They just had the sense to stay away. I didn't get that at all. To me, my siblings were the most appealing people in the room. They did have an attractive, but deadly appearance to them, though. Devan was not sitting with them this year like she had the previous two. Instead she sat with her friend Jodie, both of them alone at another table. _'I wonder why?'_

Devan and I had two classes together. Math and History. Math being my worst subject and Devan's best and History, vice versa. When we had a class together we made a pack to sit together so she had no choice but to let me join her and Jodie in Ms Jatana's Math 9 class. Devan always let me copy her notes or homework, and in return I would help her with her history homework by showing her in real time the events she had to memorize. Jodie didn't seem to like that I was copying Devan's work. It wasn't like we could tell her about our trade. So I made out as the bad guy.

"So, that was….fun," I said to Devan after the bell rang and Jodie had already left to go home. It was the end of the day.

"She thinks you are a snob," Deven told me outright.

"Me?" I asked, shocked that anyone would think that.

"Well, ya. You are one of the popular girls. And you talk about it boys, cloths, make-up and all that stuff. You are a gossip, you talk in class, pass notes, and copy my homework. She has gone to school with Courtney, Tanna and Rachel since Kindergarten and they have always treated her like she had the plague. She is a bit sensitive to girls like…."

"Me?" I asked softly, feeling a bit shorter than my actually height. Devan gave me a small shrug.

"Why does it matter? Not everyone has to like you, Silver,"

"I know that!" I was quick to defend myself. I guess I really did have the need to have everyone like me. I don't know where that came from. It made me uncomfortable to think about Jodie having a problem with me. Especially since she and Devan were such good friends.

"You have your friends. And I have Jodie. No big deal, Silver,"

"Ya. I guess," I mumbled. We had reached our lockers and Devan was busy packing every textbook into her bag. I just stood there and waited for her to finish.

"Aren't you going to take anything home?"

"Why? We don't have any homework,"

"But it is good to read ahead,"

"Devan…let's be real here," I told her. She caught my drift and stopped trying to get me on to her study plan. I put everything in my locker and just took out my gym bag and jacket.

"You have a team sport to go to already?" She asked, dismayed by the thought.

"Yup. Volleyball tryouts today. Tomorrow it is basketball tryouts. Coach Campbell wants to get the teams set up early this year for more practice time. He told me in gym class today that he wants to go to State this year!"

"How thrilling for him," She mocked flatly. I gave her my tongue and waved to her.

"Tell the others I will be in the gym until' 4:15 and will want a ride home at that time!" I called to her as I started to run down the hall.

*

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*

I was sad to find that the boy's tryouts were not going on at the same time as the girls. I hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Cody today at all. I wanted to see how his summer had been and discuss which sports he was going to go out for this year. It was a tiny bit pathetic, but I was really excited to think about hanging out with Cody and the possibility of seeing Seth again. I kept that to myself though. _'No need to upset the family over nothing,'_ I decided in my head and left the gym with a touch of a limp. _'I am going to be hurtin' so bad tomorrow!' _

I spotted Jasper in the parking lot.

"Your ride… as requested, my lady," Jasper teased as he held the car door open for me. He had been waiting outside fore me when I exited the school gym after tryouts. I was pooped! Coach Campbell was serious about picking the teams. He had made us run 8 laps and then we did short sprints, push-ups, pull ups and passes for the whole tryout. He didn't seem to care if we could handle the volleyball or not. He wanted to weed out the wimps. And I was not one of them, however…I had been lazy this past summer and gotten a bit out of shape. So this workout was a shock to my system.

"Thank you, Jasper," I told him as I slipped by him and into the car. Once I was in he shut the door and got in himself.

"Right on time,"

"I hope it wasn't too much of a bother for you to come back and pick me up,"

"Not at all. When you have eternity ahead of you it is good to fill it up with errands,"

I laughed silently.

"Hey Jasper?"

"Yes, Silver?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me more about the treaty with the Quileute Tribe?"

"Why do you want to know about that?"

"Well…because I promised Alice I would not go on their land. I get why you all can't go there. But if it was Devan or I who went…we are not breaking any rules. They are just people. What harm could be done?"

"Silver, this is not up to me to tell you the reason. I suggest you ask Alice…or better yet, Carlisle, about the treaty. I was not here when it was made. I just agree to it because that is what being a family is about. We all stick together,"

"I see," I answered. I got his message from the last two sentences he has said. He thought that being a family was reason enough to go by the same rules.

It was silent for the rest of the trip back to the house. I was rarely alone with Jasper. He was pretty quiet for the most part. Alice was so dominant over him and when they were together, which was most of the time, he let her take the floor. He was witty and charming on his own. And had the coolest talent ever! Which he sometimes shared with me.

I wanted to break the tension so I decided to try something I had never tried on Jasper. I was going to attempt to share something with him from the past. I thought I'd better ask his permission first. He was the most sensitive to the smell of human blood and I even though he would not hurt me I didn't want to tempt him to lose his control.

"Jasper, can I?" I asked him, holding my hand inches above his driving hand. He looked at his hand and then at me. He nodded.

I wanted it to be a positive experience so I choose the night that he and Alice first met. From the moment she sat at the bar and waiting patiently with a look of pure joy in her cute, pixie face until the moment their eyes met and a gentle wave of serenity passed through each other, I showed him. I let go and looked for his reaction. I knew he had felt it like déjà vu. Every sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste that occured in that short memory he had relived just now through me.

"That was…" He said thoughtfully, watching the road. He had only missed a split second, not enough to crash or anything, but it had felt like longer to him. He never finished his sentence, but I think he had enjoyed the feeling of reliving that happy moment in his life.

"It is a good one. I love that part of your past," I told him. A peaceful smile emerged on his lovely face. He fingered his golden hair back off his face and kept driving. It wasn't until we got home that I felt this rush of adrenaline push threw my body and up to my head. It tickled and I burst out into a string of giggles. It turned to silent, uncontrollable laughter, and then I gasped for air as it died down. Tears of happiness fell from my eyes and I put my head up and said,

"So cool, Jasper! Thanks for that!"

"Fair is fair. You shared with me," he told me with a smirk. Then he added sincerly, "Thank you for doing that, Silver. It was most enjoyable," he responded in a very gentlemanly tone. I could pick up his Southern accent as he spoke. He was at my door in a flash and held it for me. I got out and wiped my eyes. The odd chuckle remained and bubbled out here and there as I hurried into the house.

*

*

*

"Uggg!" I grunted as I carefully plopped down on the sofa in the upstairs sitting room. I was too tired to move. The sofa was so hard. It was a really nice, leather sofa. I was probably very expensive. It looked nice to the eye. I understood why they had it. However, it was bothering me now. Esme and Carlisle was sitting on the love seat together, watching CNN. Devan, who was sitting on the floor, doing some reading on the coffee table, noticed the disgruntled look I was giving the sofa.

"What's the problem?"

"I was just thinking,"

"About…?"

"Have you noticed that all the seats in this house are not very comfortable?" I asked. I felt more than one set of eyes turn my way.

"Uhhh?" Devan lingered, unsure of her response.

"Ya!" I stated, "Some of us can actually feel things and this sofa is hard!"

"Tryouts were rough, eh?" She asked, knowing what my problem stemmed from.

"Coach Campbell tried to kill me!" I exaggerated.

"Well…you made the team, though. That is what you wanted,"

"I don't know I made the team yet,"

"You made the team, Silver!" Devan told me with a determined tone. I turned to face her. I had my feet up over the back of the sofa and my head hanging off the seat slightly.

"Aw….you checked ahead for me? That's so sweet,"

She nodded, eyes huge and added, "And the basketball team, and swim team, yadda yadda," bored with the thought of playing sports.

"Good to know!" I contently chirped, a tiny grin on my face.

At that moment Edward came into the room. He was there for only one reason. His eyes were on Devan. She pretended she didn't know he was there. Her acting was terrible. Even I noticed the hint of pink to her cheeks.

"Devan, how about we work on that summer piece we have almost completed? We have not done anything with it in weeks," he told her.

"Um…not right now. I have more reading to do. Some other time," she told him. My expression was of both shock and confusion. She was acting very oddly. She would normally have jumped at the chance to hang out with Edward and get lost in their private World of composition. It had been weeks, maybe a whole month since I had seen them together alone. _'Was she avoiding him?'_ I thought. She only went into his room to borrow music. _'Something is up!'_

Devan caught me thinking that last thought and squinted her eyes at me like she had read my mind. I still had my puzzled face on. She gave me the look of death to tell me to cut it out so cleared my face. Then she grabbed her books and hurried off to our room. I got up and followed her. When I asked her about it she said she didn't want to talk about it. Surprise, surprise!

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **


	18. No Pain, No Gain

Chapter 18 - No Pain…No Gain

Devan's POV:

**A few weeks later….**

I had a dilemma. I wanted so badly to spend time with Edward. It had been almost 2 months since we last collaborated together at the piano. He was eager to get back to work on some compositions I had written, but I kept putting it off. I was so confused. I didn't even have feelings for him. We were just friends. This vision I had of me kissing him was ridiculous. I mean... it was me who kissed him. And I could stop that from happening…._'right?'_

Devan?" a voice jarred me from my thoughts.

"WHAT?" I snarled. I glanced down at my soggy cereal that was no longer appetizing and scowled.

"Gee…someone woke up on the grumpy side of the bed this morning," Silver told me pleasantly with the same ol' smile on her face. _'How did she do that?'_

"How do you do that?" I grumped.

"Do what?"

"Wake up and be you?"

"I am not quite sure how to answer that, Dev!" she told me, still smiling, "Just lucky I guess!"

"If you say so," I mumbled softly. She was sitting on the marble top of the island, eating a bowl of cheerios and kicking her heels against the cupboards in a playful, rhythmic pattern. I huffed over to the sink to rinse my bowl out.

"We had our first game tonight. You are coming to watch, right?" Silver said less as a question and more like a statement of fact.

"Ugh," I moaned. The thing I hated more than playing sports was watching sports. Well, no, it was a tie.I hated both equally.

"Well, the rest of the family is coming. Except Edward…so you can stay home-"

"I am coming!" I cut her off before she could finish the sentence.

"Yay!" she peeped with joy and clapped her fingers together because she was still hold her bowl and spoon in the air.

"Which one is this anyway? Soccer?" I genuinely asked her.

"Soccer? That's not til' spring, Silly!"

"Okay, whatever! Which sport is it that will force me to sit out on cold bleachers as bucket loads of rain soak us?"

"That sport would be Rugby! And the bleachers have a canopy this year," She took pleasure in telling me.

"Oh joy." I said, sarcasm all over my response. Silver didn't notice. Or didn't mind maybe. She kept eating her cereal cheerfully.

"Silver, get off the counter, dear," Esme told her as she floated into the room.

"Why? No one else eats on it…just us! And Devan doesn't mind. Do you, Dev?" Silver chirped, continuing to tap her heels against the cupboards below the counter top.

"Don't bring me into this," I told her plainly. Esme's beautiful face was not smiling and her words were firm, yet the way she spoke was with love.

"Silver, I won't ask you again. Sit on a stool. That is what they are for," She instructed Silver, who thought a moment; saw that Esme was serious, and then hopped off the counter.

"I am done now anyway," she said defiantly and skipped to the sink to clean her bowl and spoon.

"Don't do it again. There are certain standards that should be followed. Even in this home. Do you understand me?" Esme told Silver with a hard tone.

"Yep," Silver quietly agreed.

"Thank you, my dear," Esme's voice became soft again and then she said, "You two better grab your school bags. The others are waiting for you in the car,"

"Okay," I obeyed. Silver nodded and put her smile back on.

"Not very patiently, I might add!" Esme called out, directing her voice to the front driveway. I wish I could hear my siblings, but being human was sometimes like being deaf in the Cullen house.

*

*

*

The ride to school was painfully awkward. It was starting to get obvious that I was avoiding Edward. Thank goodness for Alice. She managed to keep her thoughts to herself when around him. I was so worried she'd slip and he'd find out, but Alice told me she would not ever think of it again. I wasn't so sure how that would work out, but it was the best I could hope for under the circumstances.

And Silver was still clueless, thank goodness. This news would make her impossible to live with. She would probably think it was the hugest deal and make me sketch the vision out in great detail for her to analyze. I could not let that happen. This was an inconvenience on its own without adding my spirited sister to the mix. I knew she would not be able to let it go.

We were in History class now. She was busy sending notes in class again. Our History teacher, Mr Rushlow was oblivious to it. He was going over our homework assignment on the overhead.

I was so grateful that I had school to occupy myself with. I spent a great deal of time studying with Jodie or alone in my room to avoid Edward. I was constantly in a panic thinking that he had figured it out, but he never said anything. He eventually stopped asking me to play for him. I think he had already given up on me, which hurt a little bit. I know I shouldn't feel that way. I didn't like him in that way. _'Right?_'

My life was Hell! It was fine until I had that stupid vision! Now I was confused all the time. _'Is that future going to happen because I really do have feelings for him? Or will it happen because in the moment I go insane? Or will that future happen because I saw the vision and thought it meant I like him and so therefore I just kiss him for the heck of it?' _I thought. My head ached from over-thinking the possibilities. I wasn't even making sense anymore.

"Devan?"

'_I wonder if he even cares that I am avoiding him?'_

"Devan?!"

'_I mean, we were friends. He doesn't seem to mind that we don't hang out anymore. Maybe he never thought of me as a friend…'_

"Devan!!!" I heard my name being bellowed. I snapped my head up from my hand that propped it up. The whole class was turned around at me. I slid back into my seat and looked up at Mr Rushlow who was very impatiently glaring at me.

"Well?" He asked. I looked to the overhead to see what question we were on. But it wasn't up yet. I was about to just say, I don't know, but Silver, who was sitting next to me, took my hand under the table and in a flash I was seeing it!

The huge blimp with engrossed in flames, I could hear screaming all around me, the smell of smoke was over powering. I coughed a bit on the visionary smoke and then it ended and I returned to class.

"I am waiting for a response, Devan," Mr Rushlow said, with the same degree of impatience as earlier, but now he had a befuddled look to his expression. _'I wonder what I look like when I am seeing these things?'_ I thought quickly before answering.

"Hindenburg?" I chocked out with little confidence. My throat almost felt hoarse from breathing in the imaginary smoke. _'It is all in your head,'_ I reminded myself. I hated when Silver did that! I pinched her leg out of anger.

"Ah!" she yelped and the attention that was once on me shifted over to her for a moment. She easily shrugged it off. The class turned around and went back to reviewing the homework.

"I hate when you do that!" I whispered.

"You're welcome!" she sang quietly as if I really had thanked her. Mr Rushlow sent us both a sharp look to stop talking.

_**'I AM SERIOUS! I don't like it when you mess with my head without warning! That was not a pleasant sight!'**_ I wrote on a piece of scrap paper and passed it to her under the table. Only, I missed her lap and it fell to the floor as Mr Rushlow was walking down the isle. _'Crap!'_ Before I could reach the note with my foot to pull it back under the table, he had bent to pick it up.

"Who wrote this?"

I was started to panic. I had never passed a note in class in my life and Mr Rushlow was a strict teacher when it came to passing them in class. He had a no tolerance policy. This would be the end of my perfect record, as I knew it. I felt my chest get tight, as I was about to plead guilty.

"It was me, Sir," Silver answered.

"Go to the Office. Take your books. Give this to the Principal and wait there for me. I will be down when class is over to have a talk with you and your parents," He told her and handed her a slip of paper that she had to submit to the principal that instructed them to call our parents down to have a meeting. I doubt this would have happened if she hadn't been caught before or if she hadn't talked so much in his other lessons. Silver was not in Mr Rushlow's good list, that was a fact.

"Silver…" I whispered. She was packing up her things to go. She stopped me before I could continue.

"Don't worry about it, Dev. I can take it. I am used to it," she whispered back very softly so no one heard.

"But-"

"Really. No one would believe you sent it anyway. This is what sisters are for," she told me with real sincerity. She threw her bag over her shoulder and began to leave. The class was all watching and enjoying the drama. Silver didn't seem to mind the attention. It wasn't her first time.

"Thank you," I silently mouthed to her as she was leaving. She smiled back at me and left. I sat back in my chair. The guilt was still lodged in my chest.

*

*

*

"What!? No! It is the first game! They need me!" I heard Silver protest. I was in our room, trying to hear what they were saying in the living room.

"I am sorry, Silver, but you are missing this game," Carlisle spoke firmly, but still with a gentle tone.

"This is not fair! Sports are a part of school!"

"Not a mandatory part,"

"You can ground me….Take away my cell phone… No television. Something else!"

"This is your grounding. You are grounded from going to the game tonight,"

"But-"

"This is not up for discussion, Silver. You have been warned about passing notes in class before and you decided to continue to break that rule, therefore you are to be punished,"

"My team needs me!"

"They can play without you for one game," Carlisle's calm voice finalized the discussion. A moment of silent passed and then…

"Aaauuh!" Silver screamed and seconds later she came into our room, slamming the door behind her. She looked upset, which was hard to do to Silver. Usually she took punishment with a grain of salt. But this time they got her where it hurts. She was extremely devoted to her teammates and the most competitive player on the team. This punishment was agonizing to her. She looked up and glared at me.

'_I will tell them it was me,'_ my hands asked her and began to get up. She waved her hand around and shook her head. Then she slumped down onto her bed and sighed. He mood changed almost immediately from angry to calm.

'_No. Then we will both be in trouble.'_ She signed back.

'_Why did you do it?'_

'_Because you're my sister,'_ her hands wafted around in front of her in a graceful way, _'and because you can't handle being in trouble. And because I love you,'_

'_And because it was your fault I was writing you a note in the first place?'_ I motioned back to her with my eyebrows raised. She smiled coyly and nodded.

'_That too,'_

'_Thank you,'_

'_Don't worry about it,'_

'_I feel so guilty,'_

'_Don't,'_

'_Well, at least it is only one game,'_ I told her and her face dropped into sadness once again. Then we sat in silence for a while. Neither of us knew what to say and we didn't want to be overheard talking about this out loud so the family could hear us.

I left to get something to eat. Esme smiled at me from her craft table. She was designing some new drapery for the downstairs bay windows. Carlisle was sitting motionlessly on the sofa, perfect posture, reading a giant textbook.

"Would you like me to make you something to eat, darling?" Esme offered. I shook my head.

"No, thank you. I am not very hungry. Are there any apples left?"

"I bought a new bag this morning. They are in the fruit bin,"

"Great! Thank you,"

"You're welcome, darling," Esme hummed. She was the most thoughtful, loving woman I had ever met. It would have been hard to consider that concept a few years ago because it would have felt like a betrayal to our mother, but now I was able to see that it was the truth.

Esme was more loving and attentive than our mother had ever been. Don't get me wrong. I loved our parents very much. However, our parents were workaholics and when they were not working they were vacationing. I knew Esme and Carlisle better than I had even gotten to know my own parents. The thought shocked me a bit.

"Do you need any help with your homework, Devan?" Carlisle asked eagerly. He liked to help whenever he could. I sometimes went to him for information since he has been around for over 350 years. He was the smartest man I knew. It used to make me feel insignificant to ask him things because he was so wise and I was so ignorant, but I was over that now.

"No thanks! I am just working on some math equations. And I totally get how to do them. Now I just have to execute!" I told him.

"Very well. Have fun, dear," was his response and he turned is nose back into his reading. I grabbed my apple from the fridge and took an extra back to our room for Silver.

She was standing by the the door dressed in her Rugby uniform, her hair braided back and her shoes tied to her backpack. _'What the?'_ rang through my head. _'She is not doing what I think she is doing!' _

Silver confirmed she was doing exactly that. She put her finger of her mouth to tell me not to make a sound. Then she started to sign to me her plan.

'_I am going to the game. I just decided! Emmet and Rosalie are at the cabin. They won't catch me. Edward, Jasper, and Alice went hunting a bit South of Lake Quinault for mountain lions. By the time Alice sees me doing this it will be to late for her to get here in time to stop me. I am going out through the bathroom window. I am going to leave the water running in the shower so they will think that is what I am doing. Rachel's mom is picking me up…I will meet her part way,'_

I waved my hands around to try to shut her up, but she shook her head and closed her eyes.

'_Tell me…do you see me playing in the game?'_ her hands asked me impatiently. She wanted me to look forward for her. I hated doing this. Especially to aid her in one of her shenanigans! I sighed and stepped closer to her. The closer I was the better I could see into her future. And of anybody's future, Silver's was the easiest for me to access.

Sure enough, there she was. Sitting on the sidelines of the field. Her teammates were all hyped up and cheerful. Coach Campbell points to Silver and tells her to get to center field. Then I was back to present time and Silver was eying me hopefully.

'_Yes,'_ I clenched my right fist in the sign for 's' and nodded my hand.

'_Gotta go!'_ she flicked her hands quickly and she hurried off to the bathroom. I was left in our room, staring aimlessly. I wasn't quite sure what to do next.

*

*

*

I decided to stay out of it. I started to work on my math problems. A half and hour passed. It was 6:30 and Silver's game had officially started. I had gotten absolutely nowhere in my homework. My mind was now stuck on Silver. _'This is so typical of her,'_ I thought. _'She is just going to make matters worse,' _I tapped my pencil on my paper and I stewed in anxiety. I was sure the truth would come out eventually. _'Any moment now!' _My mind teased me. _'And you are an accomplice to the crime!'_

There was a knock at the door and I jumped up, my pencil flying into the wall.

"Girls?"

"Uh…ya!" I replied as the door opened.

"Where is Silver?" Esme asked, absolutely unaware of my sister's escape.

"Um…I ..The water is running," I managed to get out, no at all believable. She was on to me. I could tell.

"I don't hear her in there,"

"I don't know…" I struggled not to lie, but it was terribly obvious that I knew something I wasn't telling them.

"Devan, where is Silver?" Carlisle asked me. I couldn't lie. The tightness in my chest was still present.

"She went to the game!" I blurted out, unable to stop myself. Silver couldn't blame me. She knew I was a horrible liar.

"I knew that wasn't a deer we heard outside," Esme said to Carlisle with a hint of worry in her soft, lovely voice.

Without warning I saw Silver in the field again. She was covered in mud now so it was sometime into the game. She looked pleased as she ran with the football. The crowd, which was not that big, was yelling for her to run. Then, coming from her right side, a very husky girl with a number 12 uniform came running into her and knocked her down hard. The girl gets back up again, but Silver was lying on the field, not moving, unconscious.

"Devan?" I heard gently as I came out of my transit state.

"Yes?" I asked. I was a bit shaken from what I had seen. Carlisle and Esme were right there, to support me. It hit me. _'Silver is going to get hurt unless we stop her!'_

"We have to stop her!" I yelled, unreasonable loud.

"What happened?" Carlisle asked.

"It hasn't happened yet. She is going to be tackled and she won't get back up!" I frantically told them. Esme's looked petrified and she looked to Carlisle for direction.

"Let's go, hopefully we can get there in time to warn her," he told me. His voice, for the first time since I had met him, sounded a bit panicked.

In the car on the way there, we had to abide by the rules of the road. Carlisle sped, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't like he could really speed with me in the car and with other humans in the general area. It was especially bad when we got closer to town. We got stuck behind some old dude in a beat up diesel truck. The silence was overwhelming.

"It was me who was passing the note in history class today," I conceded. A tiny bit of pressure released from my lungs. I glanced up into the rear view mirror. Carlisle's eyes were hard to read. It may have been just worry over Silver, but to me it looked like he was disappointment in me.

"Thank you for telling us, Devan," Esme responded first.

"That is unlike you, Devan," Carlisle added. I felt really small.

"I am sorry," I apologized meekly. I hated to be scolded.

"Okay, darling. It is done. Don't let it happen again," was the last thing Esme told me. She didn't seem angry. They both were too occupied watching the road ahead as Carlisle's black BMW weaved around cars to get to the school parking lot.

As soon as we parked, we jumped out. I could tell it annoyed them both to run at human pace. Esme had no practice at it so she walked fast instead. I ran like I always ran…awkwardly and tripping on my own feet. Carlisle caught me by the arm and stopped me from hitting the ground twice as we neared the field.

"Silver!!" I screamed as loudly as I could. I spotted her on the field, still standing. Her head whipped around to see me. She saw Carlisle and Esme with me and even though it was far away I could see her face fall. I waved at her to come over, but she didn't budge.

"Silver, it is time to come home!" Carlisle called out. Defiant, Silver still didn't move. I knew my sister too well. She wouldn't come over here for me to reason with her. I had to act fast while she was still looking. I signed to her.

'_I saw you get hurt. That big girl on the other team…number 12,'_ I flailed my around about me as I tried to tell her everything she needed to know, _'She will knock you down and you won't get up. You have to stop playing. Now!_'

Silver thought for a moment. Then she did something I didn't expect. She gave me a thumbs up and signed, _'I will be fine. I will keep my eye of for her,'_ and a whistle blew and she turned and ran to join her team. We all stood there, shocked. Esme and Carlisle had to try to fit in with the other parents so they didn't do anything about it. We simply joined the onlookers on the side of the field and waited for the game to play out.

I nervously shook and bit at my nails as I watched. Esme had her arm around me and soothingly rubbed my arm to try to calm me. This was unbearable to watch._ 'How could Silver be so stupid?' _

The game hit the critical point. It was my vision. Déjà vu! It was just like I had envisioned it. Silver had the ball, she was running, the crowd was cheering for her to run, number 12 was running at her at full force. I cringed and waited for impact. I wanted to hide in Esme's shoulder, but I could tear my eyes away from the disaster about to happen.

All of a sudden, Silver stops. She just came to a slamming halt in the field. The crowd was just as confused as I was. Even the coach was bemused. She threw the ball to her teammate beside her and then took off down the field in the opposite direction. Number 12 seemed lost without a target. The teammate threw the ball down the field, just as Silver ran to that point, caught the football and sprinted to a touchdown. The whole crowed erupted in cheer!

"It looks like you warned her just in time," Carlisle confirmed. We were the only ones in the group of onlookers not jumping for joy. We stood out even more than we usually did.

"Ya, I guess so," I muttered, astounded.

"She changed her course, therefore changing the outcome of the game," he explained even though I didn't need him to. I had figured that out on my own.

"I am glad. I was so worried," Esme cooed. I looked up at her and agreed.

We all watched as the timer ran out on the other teams play, leaving our team the winner. Silver was standing in center field when the timer buzzed. All her teammates were ecstatic. They ran towards her to hug her, each one slamming on top of one another, Silver the center. They were overly excited. One by one they added on, until it Silver was not visible and it became a pile of happy, cheering girls. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Coach!" Rachel called out as she freed herself from the pile. My head perked up and fear ran through me. Carlisle and Esme felt it too.

"Silver!" I gasped and started to run out to the field. I knew something was wrong. It sounds silly, well…not as silly as having psychic powers sounds, but as twins I just knew when my sister was in trouble.

The group of girls on top of Silver dissipated fast. They all were huddled around and whispering with concern. _'The idiots!'_ I thought as I ran up to them. Carlisle got there first to access the situation. Silver was crumpled up on the muddy grass on her side.

"I think Sasha kneed her," someone said.

"No, I didn't," A girl piped up

"She got the wind knocked out of her probably," another girl suggested.

"Maybe it is her knee?"

"No, it's her arm,"

"She's got a mark on her forehead, maybe someone cleated her?" Someone else pointed out. There was a tiny cut on her forehead and a smidge of red smudged across her temple. Esme was standing across from me, holding her breath carefully.

"It is her arm," Rachel said confidently.

I wanted to scream at them all to shut the hell up, but I knew it wouldn't help things. I knelt by my sister careful not to be in Carlisle's way.

"Silver, tell me where it hurts," Carlisle immediately sprang into Doctor mode.

"My arm," she weakly grunted, she looked like she was in pain. "I think my elbow is dislocated I fell on it and it bent all funny," she managed to add. She was holding on to her arm so tightly to keep it still that Carlisle couldn't get to it.

"You need to let go, dear. So I can examine your arm,"

"Let him, Silver. If it is dislocated, then he can pop it right back in and it will feel a lot better. I promise. Remember that summer at camp when I slipped on the pool deck and dislocated 'my' elbow?"

"I remember you crying your head off and then screaming bloody murder as the doctor popped yours back in," she said, with a touch of sarcasm. It made Carlisle smile.

"I was 7!" I justified my past actions. That reveal would have been embarrassing but I was still too upset seeing my sister hurt. _'I wonder if Silver feels this way when I am injured?'_

"I will be as gentle as I can," Carlisle promised. Silver was brave. She released her arm into Carlisle's care. Her face was tense with pain.

"It is, isn't it?" she asked, not wanting to look. Her arm was bent at a slightly off angle. My stomach did a flip-flop. I felt faint for a moment, but I sucked it back and out of the way. There was no way I would be a pansy at this moment!

"Yes,"

"It is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Yes, dear. Only for a moment," Carlisle confessed. He looked saddened to have inflict pain on her.

"Okay, well…let's do this then! I am ready," Silver told him, her eyes still closed and she was looking away, holding in her breath. I was holding mine as well. It was something we all had in common at the moment. Esme got down on Silver's other side and took her hand to comfort her as Coach Campbell shooed away the onlookers. I was grateful to him for doing so. Their comments were beginning to annoy me.

"Ooo! Count to three so I know when it is coming," Silver spat out, looking to Carlisle.

"Good plan," I agreed. It was always better to know when something was coming.

"Please," she added desperately.

"Of course. Just relax, Silver. It will only hurt for a short moment," he told her with smiling eyes. Carlisle was so good that his compassionate face and agreeing nod of his head even made me relax a bit. Then he braced her arm in his and got into position. Silver turned away, as did I. _'Do not faint, Devan. Don't make matters worse. Don't embarrass yourself.'_ I chanted to myself in my head.

"One,"

I felt Silver's body tense up beside me.

"Two,"

I peeked at Silver. Esme was very maternally holding her, comforting her. I turned my head just in time.

"Three," Carlisle said and then it was silence fell. I hadn't heard a peep out of Silver. _'Did he do it?' 'Is she okay?' 'Did she pass out from pain?'_ A string of thoughts flew through me as I curiously brought my eyes back to the situation. Then it came out.

"Oooww!" she released loudly. And then it was quiet again. The way she had said it was comical in a way. It was said in pain, shock, and in her own amusement.

"That's it?" I asked out loud. _'Ooops. I meant that for my thoughts only,'_ Silver looked at me with a pained face, but she also smiled slightly in her confusion.

"I mean…just ow?" I questioned her.

Esme's full attention was still on Silver. In some ways we were the children she never had. I know how much she worried about us. Carlisle had placed Silver's arm over her chest and tied it with his jacket. He was smiling very mildly, but didn't say a word.

"Well…I am not a 7 year old, cry baby!" Silver teased. She was back to her normal self. _'How very Silver of her!' _I thought with a touch of resentment.

"Oh. You are fine! The empathetic sister bus is coming to an end right now! Here's my stop!" I threw back at her with the same joking attitude. She laughed. She was so frustratingly cheerful even when she was injured.

Carlisle checked her over to make sure nothing else was wrong and didn't find anything. He wanted to take her to the hospital for x-rays, but Silver talked him out of it somehow. She was persuasive. He was fairly confident that her injury was going to heal well with no complications.

*

*

*

We got home at the same time as Alice and the others did. Emmet and Rosalie were waiting for us too. Alice had filled them in on Silver's runaway. Silver was all cleaned up, a band-aid over the scratch that a cleat had made on her forehead. She was propped up on the sofa upstairs with pillows and blankets galore and had my icepack with the hearts on it on her arm. Esme was always very attentive when I got hurt too.

"Well, looks like Karma kicked you in the elbow!" Alice scolded Silver lightly, "Thought you could change the future, did you?"

"Well, ya! It seemed like a good plan at the time!"

"Hah! You got tackled 10 times worse by changing your course…and by your own teammates no less!" Jasper amused.

"It was a dangerous thing you did, running away like that," Carlisle reprimanded getting back to the matter at hand, "We need to know where you are at all times in order to keep you safe,"

"Ya…there are monsters out there!" Emmet included his take on in it with a sense of humor mixed in with reality. I laughed along with him silently. It was a tiny bit inappropriate, but I couldn't help myself.

"Yes…and other dangers," Carlisle didn't deny what Emmet's true point was. There were other vampires in the World that were not like my family. I had been warned about them countless times. That is why all the Cullen's were so protective of me and Silver. They knew all the true horror stories.

"It was irresponsible," Alice chastised.

"You need to be more mindful of your actions," Esme added in a gentle voice.

"What were you thinking?" Rosalie asked harshly.

"Not only did you put yourself at risk, you disobeyed us," Carlisle sternly, yet still serenely said to Silver. Then it was silent. All eyes piercing on Silver. She had an innocent, deer in the headlights expression on her face.

"My arm hurts…" she softly chirped with a sad, puppy-dog face. Her head was down, lips pouted and her big eyes looking up at them for sympathy_. 'Oh, geez!'_ I thought as my eyes rolled in my head. To my surprise, it worked. Esme hushed everyone and sent everyone away so Silver could rest. I shook my head and went to my room.

*

*

*

"Devan," a familiar voice spoke. I turned to find Edward leaning against the doorframe.

"Ya?" I managed to choke out. I had no idea why he was in my room. We had not hung out in so long. _'Why is he here?'_

"Are you okay?"

"Ya…I am fine. Why?" I asked and tilted my head in confusion.

"I needed to ask," he told me with sadness in his lovely face. Then he said, "I saw Alice's vision…"

'_Oh no! He must know!'_ I panicked internally. I was sure I was about to turn beet red, but he continued to speak.

"I saw Alice's vision of Carlisle carrying Silver off the field,"

"Oooooh! That vision!" I heaved with relief. _'Oh crap on lots of things! Shut your mouth, Devan!'_

"What other vision would I be referring to?"

"No no…that one. I meant that one. Ya," I answered in pieces.

"I thought it was you at first. It took me a moment to register that you would never play rugby,"

He smiled a little and I started to babble, "It is understandable you would asume it was me. Luckily it wasn't for a change. You'd think it would feel good not to be the one impaired, but seeing someone else get hurt is just as bad. It is such a helpless feeling,"

"Yes. Yes, it is," Edward agreed, I thought I caught a double meaning in his tone. He came into the room and sat next to me on the bed. _'Be cool, Devan. Be cool,'_ I thought. I shifted a bit so we faced each other. He didn't say anything so I filled the silence.

"So Devan got off scot free again. Not even an extended grounding? I suppose they figure that injury is punishment enough," I said randomly, realizing that everyone could probably here my resentment.

"She made things worse. She was worried about missing one game, but now she will be missing at least 2 weeks of practice,"

"Right…not just Rugby either. All her team sports and dance class too!"

"Yes, and her coaches will need a signed doctor's note consenting for her to rejoin the teams. Carlisle won't sign a thing until she is fully recovered so she couldn't skip off again and play even if she wanted to,"

"Ouch! Sucks to be Silver!"

Edward smiled and then he got serious...very serious. Something was weighing on him. _'Oh no…maybe be does know!'_

"Devan, have I done something to make you uncomfortable?"

"No! Why?" I squeaked nervously.

"You have been avoiding me for months,"

"Oh…," I mumbled and looked down. If he saw my eyes he would be know I was lying.

"If I was pushing things on you that you were not ready for, I apologize. I know how independent you are. I didn't mean to step on your toes. I really was trying to help when it came to your lessons. I can leave you be so you can study in private if that is what you'd like,"

"Stop!" I blurted out. He had it all wrong and I was horrible to make him feel that way. But how was I going to tell him the real reason I was hiding from him. I could not tell him about my vision of the kiss. That would only make matters worse. Edward waited patiently for me to say something.

"You did nothing wrong. You are perfect. You are one of my best friends. I am sorry I have been acting strange. I can't explain it. I have had a lot on my mind and didn't want to talk about it," I told him. He listened carefully. "I do want to continue spending time with you. I will make more time in the future. I love our time together,"

Then there was a moment of dead quiet that made my chest tighten up again. It lasted only a few seconds at most, but it felt like centuries. _'Please say something…anything!'_ This waiting was torturous.

"I really enjoy working with you too, Devan. I have missed it actually. When you are ready to continue, let me know. I have some new sheet music to show you," he told me kindly. I sighed. It was a relief how understanding he was. A true gentleman.

"Ok. Ya, that sounds great!" I answered. And the decision had been made. I wasn't going to avoid him anymore. _'What good could that accomplish anyway?'_ I thought. _'It would only draw suspicion to me. And I have done nothing wrong. I will just be careful not to let my vision come true. That wouldn't be that hard. Or will it?' _My mind was just reeling. I am sure he read it on my face.

Edward got up and bowed his head. He was about to leave but he uttered one last thing that made my chest loosen up and my fingers tingle.

"Devan. I know you have a lot going on in that head of yours," He began. _'No shit!'_ I thought. "If you ever need…or want to talk," he continued. _'You have no idea!_' "I will be here," _'Tell him!'_ My brain shouted at me. I ignored my conscious and smiled back at him, wishing I could tell him everything.

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**Please Review!**


	19. Hallows Eve

Chapter 19- Hallows Eve

Silver's POV:

A few weeks later....

"Weeee!!!" I squealed joyously as I pounced on my sister. It was time to get up for school and today was a special day. I felt like I was going to burst from all the happiness inside me. Then it would spray over everyone else and they'd be just as happy!

"Go away," Devan grumbled, her voice muffled by her pillow that she had her face planted in.

I was already up and ready to get going. It was Halloween today and the faculty at Fork High had decided to permit costumes all day. No masks, nothing violent, no blood! But who cares about that! It was a reason to dress up and have a fun time! And in school, no less!

"Wake up, goober! It is 7am already. I promised Alice we'd be ready for her at 7:30am. And it will take you a while to brush that nest out of your hair!" I joked with her. She sat up in bed, her hair sticking in every direction, like Alice's but longer!

"I hate you," she said with a low tone and her eyes still closed.

"Aw, I love you too, Dev!"

"Mhh," she moaned.

"Seriously, Dev…that hair only works on Alice. On you it looks like you've recently stuck a fork in a toaster!"

"Ha ha," she sarcastically shot back. She tried to toss a pillow at me. I didn't have to move. The pillow missed me on account of her poor aim. I laughed at her miserable attempt and she grumbled and reluctantly got out of bed.

"This is going to be great! I can't wait to see the costumes Alice has for us," I thrilled.

" I am not wearing a costume,"

"Whoa whoa whoa…say what, now?!" I uttered, my voice as shocked as my body language. My arms were crossed over my chest, I was leaning forward slightly, and my right foot was tapping on the ground waiting for her to explain herself to me. _'I am tapping my foot for Pete's sake! Who does that?'_ I thought to myself as I waited for her reply.

"I said…." She began, but the door opened so fast there was a gust of air that hit the two of us.

"Devan Mai Cullen! If you think I went to all the trouble of picking out the perfect costume for you for the good of my health, you are greatly misinformed!" Alice scolded as she burst in, her eyes sparkling with threat. I beamed from the inside out. I loved it when Alice was in her fashion state of mind. She lived for this sort of thing. It was so fun to watch her in the act.

"Alice…I beg of you!" Devan begged, her hands clamped together as if she would be praying for mercy. I saw no guilt in Alice. She would not back down. I could count on her. Everyone was participating this year.

"All of us are dressing up for school. We need to fit in with the humans!" Alice rationalized.

"I am a flippin' human, Alice!" Devan pleaded.

"Not good enough! Now go comb your hair, girl! Yikes! Rosalie is in her room waiting for you. Go see if she can help you tame it," Alice demanded. She was trying to smile, but it really did pain her that Devan didn't care to play dress up with the rest of the Cullen girls. Devan pouted, but obeyed. She wanted to make Alice happy so she appeased her.

"Alice…I am ready for my costume!" I sang with excitement. Alice smiled gratefully and took me by the hand and hauled me off to her bedroom.

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*

"You are the best!" I burst with pleasure. Alice was giddy too.

I loved my costume! I had on a red, knee length dress that laced up in the front. It was hemmed so it ruffled for effect and was fitted in all the right places. It had a kind of dark feel to it. She slipped feathery, black wings on my back and had all the accessories to match. A ring, necklace, drop earring…all in blood red. The shoes were the coolest! They were black, Extreme Dior Gladiator Platforms and looked so amazing on my feet. _'They are comfortable to boot! Well, not a boot, technically…a platform'_ I twittered on in my head.

The girl I was looking at the mirror was just perfect. I couldn't have chosen a better outfit myself._ 'What am I?'_ I tried to decide. _'I am not a whore. Alice wouldn't do that to me,'_ I kept on studying myself in the mirror as Alice put the final touches on my hair. _'A whore with wings!'_ I tilted my head as I thought. _'Maybe I am a wench…that is not as bad as a whore, right?'_

"Silver…you are making a thinking face…just say what is on your mind already," Alice suggested.

"Oh, ya! Uh…Alice?" I asked. I was confused, not unhappy…but Alice read my expression the wrong way.

"Yes?" She asked, her pixie face losing a bit of its perkiness, "What is it? Do you not like it?" She looked a bit devastated so I was quick to respond.

"Oh, no! I love it! Love! Truck loads of love!" I made sure to let her know how I felt. She brightened up. I continued, "Its just….what am I…exactly?"

"Guess,"

"Um, I dunno….a wench?" I guessed, feeling silly. She looked horrified at my reply.

"No! Gee whiz, Silver! Esme would have my head!" she remarked with shock and laughter. I giggled at myself for even suggesting it.

"Well, what am I then?" I asked again. She just smiled a tooth smile. Not a normal smile. This one was extra wide and a bit creepy.

"Knock knock!" Rosalie said at the door of Alice's bedroom.

"Is she ready?" Alice inquired, looking positively giddy.

"Yes…but she has a bone to pick with you,"

"Oh poo! Bring her in,"

The door opened and Devan moped in. She looked lovely. Like it was her wedding day. She had wings too…only they were white and fluffy. My guess would be that she was an angel, but she had no halo, just a beautiful headband with white pearled flowers on it. Her jewelry was made of pearls and diamonds. Her dress was slimming and floor length and made of silky, flowing material. And her shoes…Oh, the shoes! Were so pretty, sticking out from her long dress. **(Check out the twin's costumes by checking out my profile) **

"You look brilliant, Dev! So beautiful! And graceful…so don't move too much or you will ruin the effect," I told her with a teasing jab at the end. She gave me a sarcastic glare, but it was laced with a smile. She knew she looked pretty. She sighed and looked at her shoes, which were heeled.

"She looks perfect! You'd better have fun today, Devan. This is a great human holiday. I will not have you grump all over it," Alice beamed.

Rosalie smiled proudly at her creation. Then it dawned on me. Devan was all white and light looking. I was red and dark! _'What in Hell's name is going on?'_ I thought to myself. _'In Hell is right…they dressed me as the devil opposite to Devan's angel!'_

"Do I really come off as evil?" I asked out loud. Alice looked at me confused, still happy and pleasant, but confused. Rosalie had a smug look on her face, but it was over top a grin too.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Alice questioned me.

"You think I am the evil twin? The doppleganger? The dark one? The Queen of the Underworld? The Devil? Is that how you see me?" I asked, not upset at all. I was smiling the whole time. It amused me that they may have thought this. I loved the costume and wanted to wear it no matter what I was supposed to be.

"No…of course you are not evil. However, you do tend to lead yourself astray at times and make choices that are not the best," Alice responded. _'All true!'_ I thought as she said the sentence. "So, when I came up with a costume idea for you two, it only made sense you play this part! The two of you are people's conscience,"

"Hah!" Devan busted out a single laugh. She enjoyed the reveal.

"You thought you were an angel, didn't you?" I asked her and poked my tongue out at her. She nodded, still enjoying the moment.

"Yes…but it is funnier now to know that you are the Id!" She said back to me honestly.

"Well…then you're Ego!" I told her, childishly as if it was an insult.

"Ya! Exactly. I am common sense and reason. You are impulsive and self gratifying!" She retaliated playfully.

"Yup…that sounds about right!" I chirped back. _'I can't deny it!'_ I know some people would see it as an insult to be called impulsive…but not me. I liked living my life that way. It was far more enjoyable and accounted for my cheerful nature. _'Devan should try it sometime!'_ I thought.

"Okay…enough chit chat. You two are done. Go eat your breakfast so I can get everyone else in their costumes!" Alice instructed us.

Devan was in a better mood now that she was awake and looking so lovely. I was glad that she was having a bit of fun with it. I skipped down to the kitchen as Devan wobbled behind me.

*

*

*

We were down by the front door with out coats on and our bags ready. Esme had made us a wonderful breakfast of ham, eggs, and toast. I was stuffed and ready to get going. I couldn't wait to go see my friends and what kind of costumes that had chosen to wear.

"What's the hold up?" I asked at a normal volume.

"We are coming!" Alice sang. She came sliding down the spiral banister in a green flash.

She landed neatly at the bottom and hopped over to us. She was in a lime green mini dress with sparkly wings and glitter galore and cute matching shoes. She even had a wand to match. She looked like what I believed she was on the inside. A pixie! Or a fairy!

"I should have guessed you'd be Tinkerbell," Devan stated.

"It suits you!" I complimented. She was glowing with excitement. More so that I. _'She makes a better human than I do sometimes!' _

"Thanks!" Alice replied and then she looked to the stairs.

Rosalie came down next. She was clearly Alice from 'Alice in Wonderland'. It was funny how a costume meant to look cute or adorable, looked hot on her. She was stunning as usual. But what came next was truly adorable!

"Come, my love," Rosalie beckoned Emmet, who playfully came hopping down the stairs in a white, rabbit suit. Ears, tail and all!

"How cute, it's a bunny wabbit," I cooed in a baby voice. He came up and threw me over his shoulder and hopped around.

"Who you callin' a wabbit?" he asked as we both laughed.

"Emmet, I just ate! You don't want to be a marinated wabbit, do you? I suggest you put me down," I threatened vomit at him.

"Yes…put her down," Alice ordered. She was worried about the costumes, no doubt. I was more worried about the carpet. Esme would be horrified if I upchucked on her expensive, foyer rug! Emmet placed me back in the foyer with the rest of them.

"Where is Edward and Jasper?" Devan asked.

"AAArrrgh!" Edward growled as he flew into the room.

"Aw…you're a pirate," Devan giggled at him. He looked slightly hurt for a moment, and then he smirked and pulled his plastic sword out on Devan.

"Not Aw…AAArrrgh!" He joked. I had never seen him this happy before.

"He is Captain Hook!" Alice informed us. She was enjoying seeing him so happy as well.

Devan giggled again and rolled her eyes teasingly at Edward. The two of them were back to spending time together again. They seemed to get along really well. I had snooped into some of Edwards past and found that he had been quite sullen and depressed for a long time. It was nice that he and Devan had each other as friends. They both complimented each other.

Speaking of compliments. Alice's compliment, Jasper, was the last to come down and join us. He didn't sprint, fly, hop, slid down. He appeared at the bottom with the most pained face I think I had ever seen grace his pretty face.

"Oh Holy Tights! It is Peter Pan!" I exclaimed! Jasper looked like he wanted to die. And he already had, technically, so he was screwed.

There were soft, muffled giggles and snorts all around. Alice was the only one who didn't find it funny. She casually took him by the arm and stood next to him proudly. It wasn't that Jasper didn't look gorgeous as he always did. It was just so weird to see him dressed up like a Disney character. The others could pull it off. But Jasper was much more serious and him in green tights and looking like one of Robin Hoods merry men made my day!

As we headed to the vehicles to get to school I let him know by telling him, "You made my day, Jasper!"

*

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*

School was a blast. I was a tad disappointed with some of the other students. Not everyone dressed up. _'Why some people live with a stick up their bum is beyond me!'_ I thought whenever I saw someone in his or her everyday cloths.

A lot of talk was focused on our family today. It was mostly placed on Emmet. He looked adorable as the white rabbit. A lot of girls who normally didn't pay attention to him because of his huge size and attachment to Rosalie were looking today. The most attention, however, was to Jasper.

Any other boy wearing a Peter Pan costume, tights and all would have been the laughing stock of the school. At first glace there were some snickers and whispering. By Lunchtime he had a swooning audience of girls from all grades just drooling over him. He looked damn good in green and his tall, muscular body was gorgeously on display for all to see. He didn't seem to notice the attention at all. His eyes remained glued on Alice for the entire day. Alice didn't mind all the girls fawning over Jasper. She simply thought they had good taste!

Devan was gorgeous! So many people told her so and suggested she wear the white, silk dress more often. She took the compliments as well as she could._ 'At least she is the good conscience!'_ I thought.

Most everyone laughed when they found out what we were dressed as. A lot of my teachers burst out in a laugh and nodded when they found out. _'What can I say? I like to do things my own way!' _I sang in my head, not insulted at all that anyone felt this way about my costume._ 'Hey! I rhymed!' _

"Yo, Silver!" I heard my name being called.

Ms Jatana, our Math teacher, had left the room to do some photocopying.

"Who calls?" I asked as I swiveled around from my front desk. Devan and Jodie insisted on sitting up there. It was a horrible death trap. It made passing notes in class nearly impossible. However, Ms Jatana was quite lenient with me when she'd catch me. She told me I was a smart girl with potential if I learned to channel my energy. _'Hah!'_

"Party at my house tonight! You are coming, right?" Cody asked.

He was Mike Newton's younger brother. Mike was a junior. He was one of the most popular guys in the school. Both boys were pretty boys. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall, handsome, athletic, and popular. Cody never acted like he knew how popular he was though. It was part of his charm that he was modest.

"Yeah, I am!" I exclaimed. _'Party! Wooo!'_ rang through my mind like a fog horn!

"Good! Cause' it would be lame without you!"

"Aw…you flatter me!" I teased playfully, winking at him. Cody flirted back. That was our thing. We played around. Everyone thought we were dating and the ones who knew we weren't thought we should be. But Cody and I were just friends. We both understood that.

"It's at 7! You'd better be there," He warned me, turning his head so I could see the profile of his face that was Mr Hyde. It made me laugh.

His costume was genius. As if I line was drawn down him vertically, one half of him was in a neat suit and tie with his hair neat and combed back and a dress shoe. His Jekyll side. The other half was ragged, torn and dirty, his hair was a mess and he had prosthetic scars and makeup on his face. He finished off with a bare foot on that side.

"Only death would stop me!" I proclaimed dramatically, throwing a damsel hand to my forehead and leaning back a bit. Devan shot me a look and pulled me back down from my raised position.

"Focus! If Esme has to come down here today because you are disrupting class again, death won't be the only thing that can stop you!"

"Booo!" I booed, "You are no fun!" And I picked up my pencil and zeroed in on my notes again. Jodie was watching me carefully. I smiled at her pleasantly as a peace offering. She didn't even attempt to smile back._ 'How rude!' _

*

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*

I hurried out to the parking lot after school. All practices were canceled tonight so I had plenty of time to go home and freshen up for Cody's party. Coach Campbell said the cancellation was due to the chance of a thundershower. _'That was the essence of living in Forks!'_ I thought sarcastically. My theory is that it is because the coaches had to be home with their kids to take them trick or treating.

"How was your day?" Alice asked brightly as I entered the car. She and Jasper had the front seats and Edward was sitting in the back already. He would much rather be driving his Volvo, but it looked silly for one family to bring 3 cars to school.

"Good. Everyone loved the costumes, Alice. Thanks again," I told her. Devan fell into the car with as much grace as rhinoceros. She knew it too, her smile big and admitting. "And did you hear how everyone was adoring over Devan?" I added. Devan blushed pink.

"Yes, I did. We all did," Alice replied. I caught her eyes flash to Edward and then away very quickly. Edward was not as happy as he had been this morning. _'I wonder what that is about?'_ I thought to myself. I shrugged it off quickly. I needed to plant the party seed into their heads.

"So, there is a party tonight," I offered gently.

"At the Newtons', yes, we heard," Alice chirped.

"Are you going to go?" I asked her, but I meant all of us.

"No," she pouted.

"Oh…"

"Too many temptations…in a small room. School is hard enough for Jasper," she explained, but I could tell she would love to go to the party.

"Well, ya…and Jasper had a very tempting time today. As did his lady admirers. Who knew girls like a man in tights so much?" Edward piped up from his backseat wallow. Devan and I laughed silently for a short moment.

"Cody asked me if I was coming…" I started to tell them.

"And you said that you were, I know. The news spread," Alice sang softly. _'Why is she torturing me? Just say I can go…please!' _

"Sooo…"

"Well, I think it should be fine. It is not up to me. Carlisle and Esme will make the final call. Were you a good, little bad conscience today?" she teased.

"I am always good, Alice," I told her. That was my standard reply to the being good question. She laughed. Devan's eyes rolled to the back of her head just as they always did when I answered the question.

*

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*

"One of us will be back to pick you two up at 10:30 sharp," Rosalie explained as she dropped us off at the Newton's residence. It was fun pulling up in her M3 convertible. It was cherry apple red and detailed to the max! It was nearly as hot as she was!

"Ok," I agreed gingerly. I had begged for an 11pm curfew since it was Friday night, but it had been rebuffed. Devan staggered out of the convertible unwillingly. She was being a good sport about coming. The only way I was allowed to be out alone was if we were together. So she was doing this for me.

"You so owe me!" she muttered as Rosalie drove off.

"You will owe me by the end of tonight because you are going to relax…listen to some music….mingle the crowd…dance…and have a good ol' golly time!" I told her with a cheesy grin.

"Riiight!"

"Cut the sarcasm…it is par-tay time!" I cut her off.

We were greeted at the door by fellow students. All of them were happy to see us. Devan didn't know them very well, but being twins she was accepted immediately. "Silver!" Cody called to me. I happily met him in the center of the room.

"Great turn out!"

"Mostly my brother's friends," he didn't want to take all the credit. I smiled and nodded. There were a lot of the junior and seniors at the party. They were all so tall. I felt like a midget in my high heels. Mike came up and put his arm on Cody's shoulder.

"Hey Cody! When are you going to ask Silver out and a real date?" he asked his younger brother. Cody didn't seem phased at all. He whacked Mike's arm away and laughed.

"Take a hike, Bro!" was his answer. I laughed. It probably seemed like I was laughing at the situation, but really I was laughing at Mike's costume.

He was decked out in a cumberbun and suit with a full length, black cape. It was his attempt to look like a vampire. His hair was gelled back and sprayed black and his skin was caked with white makeup. The best part were the fake fangs in his mouth and the bright red 'blood' the dripped out. _'Stereotypical!'_ I thought. _'If he only knew!' _

"Make me proud, Cody. You are a Newton!" Mike bellowed over the music as he took off to chat with his own friends.

"Sorry about him… he is an ass sometimes," Cody apologized.

"No worries," I accepted. I was not offended at all. Something caught Cody's attention and a huge grin spread across his face.

"Seth!" Cody called out.

My heart thumped loudly at his name. I tried not to show my fluster. It was unlike me to feel that way around anyone. Not even a boy I liked.

"What's new?" Seth asked. I hadn't looked up at him yet. _'What will I say?' _We haven't spoken since the summer and he had my number, which he had not put to use.

"Not much. I am glad you made it. Hi, Jacob. Glad you came," Cody greeted them as they neared us. I got my confidence back and shot my face up to get a good look at them both.

"Silver…" Seth seemed stunned. "You look…"

"So much better than the last time we saw you," Jacob teased like he had known me a lot longer. I barely recognized him. I just remember it was his rabbit that drove me home that day in the summer when I had heat stroke. I tried to laugh to be polite and I nodded. _'True'_ I thought. _'Kind of embarrassing, but true!'_

"Well, I am going to go find Devan. She is probably off in a corner by now," I excused myself. I walked away to find my sister, but before I could get far I felt something grip my arm. It was Seth.

"Seth?"

"Silver…I," he stuttered. I couldn't help but soften my hard demeanor. He was just so warm and lovely. "What I was trying to say back there…before I was interrupted…was that you look…you look beautiful,"

I didn't know what to say. I was speechless! Me! Speechless! His kind eyes looked at me to say something and to not reject him. I struggle to find words.

"Thank you," seemed like the simplest thing to say. He didn't seem satisfied with just that.

"I know I should have called," he told me, "To see how you were. I meant to call,"

"It is okay, Seth," I replied gently. _'What ever happened to giving him a piece of your mind, you big baby?'_ I scolded myself internally. I was no longer upset with him. All it took was to see him and be told by him I was beautiful and I was falling all over the place for him. _'What the Hell is happening to me?'_

"No, it isn't. It was rude of me. I wanted to call, but I was worried you might get in trouble,"

"In trouble?"

"I am no fool, Silver. Your family does not want me to come near you,"

"Yes," I admitted. It was true. _'Sad, but true,'_

"I only came tonight to see you," His words hit my like a ton of bricks. The wind was knocked from me and I began to wonder when I would be able to breathe again.

"Will you forgive me?" he asked. If I could have, I would have melted all over him.

"Yes. Of course," I was hardly able to speak. He smiled and took my hand.

"Care to pick up where we left off?"

"Huh?" I asked dumbly.

"Dance with me?"

"I would love to," I chocked out. As soon as we found the music and started to move all my apprehensions disappeared. It was pure bliss!

*

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*

I was so busy dancing with Seth I forgot all about the time. I hadn't seen Devan in hours and I carelessly didn't think anything of it. I was too swept up in Seth's presence.

He promised to call me. I hoped that he would follow through this time. Otherwise, I would be crushed. I was head over my heels, smitten with him. And his eyes were only on me the whole night. I couldn't wait to spend more time with him.

It would be tricky. My family would not approve. And I couldn't keep it from them. There were no secrets in our house. Not for long anyway. Alice would be upset. However, I was not breaking my promise to her. I was not on Quileute land. I know that I was still disobeying in a sense, but I didn't care.

"Silver!" I familiar, yet slightly altered voice rang in my ears. I was immediately whipped out of my trace with Seth as an arm can slamming down around me and weight made my lean down a bit. I turned, with a glare, to tell whomever it was to bugger off, but I was shocked instead.

It was Devan. She was smiling like an idiot and she was holding a red, plastic cup, spilling the contents a bit as she hung on to me.

"I…am having…such…a great time!" Devan spoke carefully, her eyes peering at me intensely, but her smile took away from it. Her forehead was practically against mine.

"Whoa!" I blurted out as I caught a whiff of her breath. "What are you drinking?"

"Punch!" she sang cheerfully. "Orange punch!"

"Devan!" I exclaimed, taking the cup from her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"This is not punch…it has alcohol in it!"

"Nuh uh…it is called a Sunrise!" she informed me.

"A Tequila Sunrise!" I proclaimed forcefully in her face.

"Ooooh! That is why it tasted funny!"

"How many did you have?"

"I dunno. 3....or 5 maybe...7?"

I heaved a sigh and I rolled my eyes in my head. Seth was kind enough to help hold Devan steady as I threw the cup in the nearest garbage can.

"We are so screwed! They will never let us out of the house again!" I harshly told her. She was to drunk to even care.

"Let's get her some water and try to sober her up," Seth offered. I nodded and followed his lead to the kitchen. Once we had a large glass of water we went outside on the porch to find a more private area to sit.

"This water taste like fish!" Devan curled up her nose after her first sip.

"Don't be ridiculous. It is water. Just drink it!" I demanded.

"What time are you being picked up?" Seth asked me.

"Soon!" I answered in panic.

"Maybe no one will notice…" Seth suggested, trying to console me. We both turned to Devan at the same time. She looked like a naughty child who had been caught in the act. She started to laugh.

"Nope! We are as good as social outcasts! They will never let us out of the house again. You'd better take a good look at me now, Seth…cause' this is probably the last time you will be seeing me in a long time," I ranted frantically.

"I sure hope not," I told me calmly. He gently took my face and moved my head up to look him in the eye. "I want to see you again, Silver. I don't care if our families approve of it,"

I was back to melting all over him again. He was so dashing and the moment was perfectly romantic. Until headlights pinned on us, blinding my as I looked to see the car.

It was Edward's Volvo! I released myself from Seth. He whispered, "See you soon," and slipped inside quickly, knowing that It would be better if I handle Devan on my own. His help would make matters more dramatic than they were sure to be.

"Pull yourself together," I whispered into Devan's ear as I passed her to coat to her. I hoped that Edward had not heard.

"Good party?" Edward asked.

"Ya," I answered and smiled to cover up. Devan was stumbling as she walked. _'Not totally unusual'_ I thought. I got her in the car and sat next to her. Edward didn't say a word. Devan had the same guilty child look on her face the whole way home, but she managed not to say anything stupid. Edward was silent for a while.

"We already know," he finally admitted. _'They know about Seth! Not good!'_ I let out a sigh to release my anxiety.

"Figures!" I gave in. I was about to be lectured on Seth again. I wanted to scream.

"Alice saw it, that is why I am a bit early,"

"So…what is the damage?" I asked. I really didn't want to face the family at home. I was not about to give up seeing Seth. So it was sure to be battle.

"That is not for me to tell you," he took great pleasure at withholding information. We reached the house and I walked next to Devan to make sure she didn't give herself away. We had been lucky so far.

The door opened and there was the whole crew, waiting for us. Not pleased, that was for sure.

"Silver, what happened? I thought you knew better," Alice asked me. I didn't know how to explain about Seth. I didn't ask him to come. It was on public grounds. "You should have been watching her more closely. What were you doing all evening? Your near future was cut off to me for some reason," she continued, "And Devan…I thought you knew better too,"

_'Hold up!'_ my mind halted. _'Is this not about Seth?'_ As I looked into all their eyes I recognized their expression. Disappointment. _'They are upset because Devan is drunk! Not because I was with Seth! Alice must not have seen that!'_

Just as my thought had finished Devan hunched over and spewed all over the foyer rug. Esme's face was a confused mix of horror and empathy.

"Silver, you can go up to bed. We will talk about this in the morning," Carlisle instructed me, as he took Devan from me. I saw she was in good hands, so I obeyed. No one followed me.

I got to our room and sat on my bed waiting for someone to come at me, angry, about Seth. Nothing happened. Not even Alice came by. I took off my costume and make up and crawled into bed. _'They don't know about Seth'_ I hoped. _'For some miracle they have no idea that I was with him all night.'_ This idea made me grin like a kid in a candy shop. I was overjoyed. And then…I was peaceful. Seth's face still lingered in my mind.

All night long, I dreamt of him.

* * *

**So…what did you think? **

**What was your favorite costume? I think I like the idea of Emmet as a bunny wabbit! Hehehe! **

**Please review! **


	20. Violet

Chapter 20 – Violet

Devan's POV:

"Come on, Dev! Let's get the heck out of here!!!" Silver sang loudly as she skipped up to me as I emptied my locker. It was Winter Break and we had 2 weeks off as of this moment. Silver bounced up and down impatiently.

She was in a hurry to get home and check her e-mail. She used to love hanging around after school, going to all her practices and dance classes, but since Halloween she never lingered anywhere longer than she had to. Seth and she had been chatting via messenger for the last month in secret. I was sure that Alice knew. _'How could she not?'_ She never said anything, though. She couldn't prove it even if she had seen anything because they used secret user names. I had to hand it to Silver…she was smart enough not to use her cell phone to text. She knew she wouldn't be able to resist using it in class and getting caught.

"Stop tugging on my arm and I will be ready a lot sooner," I told her. She obeyed, but she still looked like she had to pee or something.

"This is great! We have all this time off, no school; tons of snow, and you are no longer grounded. We are going to have such a blast!" she squeaked, giving my a little hug.

It was true. I was happy to not be grounded anymore. 6 weeks was a long time. And it was the first time in my life I had been grounded. The whole month and a half since Halloween had been a constant reminder to feel guilty for being a moron and getting drunk. Esme was kind to forgive me for ruining her foyer rug. I knew how she loved it.

Being grounded didn't really affect me like it did Silver. I had no clubs or sports I was into. The only time I left the school or the house was to see Jodie and that was mainly for studying. And no television was fine since I could read or listen to music. Silver thought it was unfair that she had the same grounding since she actually likes to watch the television.

It would have been worse if they had banned me from playing music for that time. I don't think they would ever be that cruel. Besides, they knew it had been a mistake that I got drunk at Halloween. They had to ground me to set an example. Silver got grounded for 3 weeks for not sticking close to me at the party and stopping me, which was slightly unfair, even I admit. Silver was still allowed to participate in all her school sports so she survived. The hardest for her was no TV.

"Hurry up! What do you need all these books for anyway? It is called a break for a reason!"

"I want to get ahead for next semester," I explained, not looking up from loading my bag, which was starting to rip at the side.

"Shut up!" she said like one of those totally clueless girls in a teen movie. Then she lost her patience and left. "I will meet you in the car!"

I finished getting all my things organized and then hurried out to the car. It was still snowing out. I was not really a fan of the stuff. It was like rain, only worse because it was more cold and easier to slip on. Not the best time of year for me due to my inability to stay upright for a whole day without falling down under normal circumstances.

I was looking forward to the holiday. It was nice to be part of a family at times like this. I missed having a Christmas last year. I missed how it used to be with our parents. They'd wake us up early and let us open our gifts before a huge breakfast of pancakes. That was our tradition. I knew it would never be that way again. But I was certain that this would be a holiday to remember!

Alice was impossible, just like Silver. She was having a fit over the holidays this year. She had all sorts of plans to decorate the house and make fancy meals and have a traditional human Christmas. Last year we had skipped over it and barely acknowledged it because the Cullen's didn't normally celebrate it. Another reason was that Christmas was a hard time for me and Silver because it was the same time of year our parents had passed away in a skiing accident.

However, we had to move on and more forward, as Silver liked to motivate me, so we brought up the topic of Christmas to the Cullens and surprisingly they were more than thrilled to participate. It turns out they were holding back due to us as well. Alice had that scary glint in her eyes ever since we decided Christmas was on this year. The same glint she gets when it comes to shopping.

Silver couldn't wait! I was a lot more laid back about the whole thing. It had been several years since we had a real Christmas. Our grandmother had been too delusional to remember such things when we lived with her. Plus, she was of the mind that children should not be spoiled. The Cullens did not share that same belief.

Every chance they could they indulged us. I found it hard to accept. I couldn't give anything back. Silver was grateful and accepted all the perks of living with our rich, vampire family. 'It is just money!' she would say. 'It is meant to be spent!' I still found it hard to take something that I didn't earn.

*

*

*

"Devan!" I heard as something smacking into my head. I was in the driveway of our house walking from the car to go inside.

"Uuugh!" I grunted and swiped the wet snow from the side of my face where Silver had panted it on me. She giggled proudly. I scowled, but my instincts told me to drop my bags on the front step and to find some snow to retaliate. She didn't expect that from me.

When she was stomping her boots out on the step I came up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to me, smiling. Without hesitation I shoved a handful of snow in her face like it was a pie!

There was silence…her mouth hung open in surprise.

"You got it up my nose!"

"Good!" I told her sharply.

"Oh…it is on!" she sang as she brushed the snow from her face. She smiled gleefully as she ran out to the piles of snow to grab another clump. I hurried to the other side to hide behind a drift. I felt a snowball hit me in the back. It didn't hurt at all.

"Prepare to lose, Dev!"

"Oh, whatever!"

"Come out you baby!"

"You come out!" I called back. Both of us were hiding behind opposite drifts of snow. And she did. I didn't even hear her sneak up. A large pile of snow dropped on my head, some going down my coat collar.

"Ahh!" I squealed. I began to chase her with snow in my both my hands. I tried to throw my snowballs at her, but I was covered in snow and couldn't see her that well. She ran behind a tree and I followed. As I ran past the tree I slipped and flew up in the air, feet in front of me. I landed with a thump on my back.

"Dev!" I heard Silver exclaim. For only a second the wind was knocked out of me. "Are you okay?" She asked as she knelt down by me with the sincerest concern for my well being. This was my chance. I grabbed her and pulled her into a tackle. She screamed as I was able to plant her face into the ground and get back up to standing. I heard her get up and chase me.

"You are so dead!" She screamed. Her voice was really close to me. It was kind of scary being chased. I was doomed. She was far more athletic than I was.

"Have mercy!" I begged half jokingly. Part of me was warning her to not be too rough. I felt her slam into me and bring my down. The snow was so cold.

"Girls!!! That is enough now!" I heard Esme's voice call out to us. Silver threw one more lump of snow on my head with a laugh and got off me.

"I win!" she chirped merrily. I shook myself off and followed her inside. It was nice and warm. Esme has the fireplace going and the heat on. It was for our benefit only.

"For heaven's sake, girls. You are not dressed appropriately to be running around in the snow. You'll catch your death of a cold!"

"I doubt it!" Silver snuffed off Esme's concern and stripped off her coat and boots at the door. Esme frowned slightly at our unladylike behavior.

"I want you to go change into dry cloths," Esme told us.

"Okay," I agreed. I would have done that anyway. I was cold and wet. My sister was not as soaked as I was. Silver sighed and shrugged, but didn't argue with Esme.

*

*

*

We changed our cloths and then Silver went to our computer and signed on. She grinned wildly at me and signed, 'Yay! He is online!'

She really had a crush on him. It bothered me a bit. I wasn't sure why. I knew that Alice would be upset to find out they were chatting. Silver had filled me on the reason Seth was forbidden. It had to do with a treaty made many years ago with the Quileute Tribe.

The gist I got from Silver's explanation was that the Quileute's knew the Cullens were vampires, but since the Cullens did not drink human blood they would not expose them to the World. So long as the Cullens promised never to step foot on their land.

It all had a very Romeo and Juliet kind of vibe to it. Seth liked Silver. Silver liked Seth. Neither of their families approved and had an ongoing feud with one another. Seth and Silver rebel and see each other regardless.

'_I hope this ends better than Romeo and Juliet'_ I sighed, looking at how happy Silver was. I was a tiny bit jealous actually.

"I am going to go practice," I told her holding up some sheet music Edward had given me. She nodded and turned back to the computer screen to continue her secret love affair with her Romeo. It was pretty romantic, but I still felt nervous about the whole situation. I wouldn't tell Silver that. You can't help who you fall in love with. _'Can you?'_ I asked myself.

"I was hoping you would be up for a jam session!" Edward said as he appeared at my side almost instantaneously. I jumped slightly, but we kept walking down the stairs to the living room. He looked nice today in a navy sweater and black pants. _'Has he been working out?'_ I wondered to myself.

"Ya. Sounds good!" I told him. _'That is a stupid thought. He is a vampire. He can't change his physical appearance by lifting a few weights!'_

"Did you like the Chopin piece?" he asked me regarding the last song I had been working on. I nodded without speaking. _'I guess he has always been this buff'_

"Will you play for me?" he asked. I nodded again. A perma grin plastered to my face._ 'It must be the sweater. It is tight fitting' _

I sighed when I got to the piano. _'Focus!'_ I took my seat and he arranged the sheet music for me so it was all lined up in order. Then he stood beside me, but in my blind spot. I was gratefully when he did this because having him in my line of view was distracting.

I began to play. It was a beautiful piece. Chopin's Waltz in C# Minor. Op.64 No.2. One that Edward insisted I learn to play. He thought that Chopin was one of the greatest for writing music that sounded like poetry.

I was on a roll. My hands flowed over the keys effortlessly and my timing was right on. The sounds coming from the piano were soft, yet defined. I felt perfectly as ease. My heart rate was peacefully slow and it was like I didn't have to breath. Then it came to an end and I was back in the living room with Edward by my side.

"Beautiful,"

"It did turn out rather well that time, didn't it?" I asked rhetorically. I knew it had been the best I had ever played that piece.

"I am surprised," Edward said. I shot my head up at him to meet his eyes. "In a good way, Devan. You haven't been working long on that one. I gave it to you on Monday and this was only your 4th complete run through," he explained himself.

"Oh, well…"

"Don't be modest. You are brilliant! You played that like a true musician. It was flawless!"

"I don't know if-"

"Devan," he said strongly, cutting me off. I shut my mouth and nodded. "Own it!"

I laughed and felt my cheeks get warm. _'Oh crap! Being human is a pain in the butt!'_

"Thank you," I said to him. He sat next to me on the bench and I moved over to accommodate him. For a moment we were both looking into one another's eyes. _'They are so golden,' _I noticed. When he didn't turn away from me I looked down at the keys and softly touched them. _'Don't do it, Devan!' _I threatened myself mentally.

"Did you know that your eyes are violet?" He asked. I wasn't expecting that.

"I guess. They are just blue," I muttered, not looking back up at him for fear my vision might come true_. 'Control yourself Devan. He is a mentor to you. That is the only reason you have feelings for him now. Don't be a fool!'_ I chastised myself mentally.

"They are more than just blue. There is too much warmth in them to be just blue. They almost look purple," He corrected me. I didn't know what to say. The silence was overwhelming.

"Silver's are the same," I said. _'Why did you say that, dummy?'_

"Yes. But they look entirely different in you. They are beautiful,"

I faced him. He was smiled gently at me. I smiled back. _'Stay calm. You are not going to do anything you'll regret. Tell him, thank you and move on,'_

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome,"

*

*

*

It was Christmas Eve and I was effectively avoiding Edward by reading a book. Since the day at the piano I thought it was best to take a bit of time away from him. I had a bit more empathy for Silver now. Having a crush on someone was hard. And that is what it was. _'Only a crush!'_ I told myself over and over in my head._ 'At least you didn't kiss him!'_

"Devan! It is time for dinner!" I heard myself being beckoned. I slipped my bookmark in my book and slid it all under my pillow. I was certainly ready to eat after being held up in my room all day reading.

I was the last to reach the dining room table. It was set for 9 as if everyone was going to be eating. There was a lace tablecloth and fancy crystal bowls filled with salad, steaming veggies, stuffing, jello salad, fresh rolls, and cranberry sauce. My mouth began to salivate.

"Wow!" I exclaimed in more of a gasp. They all beamed up at me, pleased at my reaction.

"Amazing, you guys! This looks so wonderful!" Silver shared her appreciate with them too. I took my seat beside her.

"You really didn't have to go to all this trouble. I know how the smell of this isn't your favorite," I offered my condolences.

"It was no trouble, darling," Esme told me firmly, with a loving smile. She seemed very happy and not at all disturbed by the extreme amounts of prominent smelling foods.

"Here it is!" Carlisle said as she carried in a small, perfectly seasoned, cooked turkey on a platter and set it down on the table.

"Oh yum!" Silver chirped happily. She was the only one who would eat it since I was a vegetarian.

"Seriously…this is too much!"

"I am so hungry I could eat a horse!" Silver belted out. Everyone laughed.

"Well, this should do the trick," I mumbled at her smiling.

This was the most wonderful spread of food I had seen in a long time. All the traditional favorites were present. And it all looked scrumptious! We filled our plates, the whole table passing the dishes around. When we were done Silver was about to take a bite and I stopped her.

"Oh wait!" I blurted out. She stopped and looked at me sideways. "I think we should say something," I suggested.

"Okay," she agreed, but didn't offer any help. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I hadn't thought this through. Silver smiled at me knowing that I had expected her to take over. She remained quiet with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Uh, well…" I started. I looked around at all of my families beautiful faces. They looked back lovingly…even Rosalie was enjoying the moment.

"I think what Devan is trying to say is…" Silver took over. I sighed and smiled at her as a thank you. "That we are so very thankful to be a part of this family..... We are grateful for all that you do for us...... If it were not for all of you we would not have such a wonderful life,"

"And we love you very much," I added as she finished. She nodded in agreement with my addition. There was silence, but they looked back at us with love. I think a few of them would have shed a tear if they were able to.

"We love you too," Esme cooed. Carlisle had her hand in his and he nodded along with a compassionate smile.

"We all do!" Alice sang out. I felt my eyes well up. This was my family. My home. _'And I have a crush on my 'brother'. I am such a loser!' _I thought, ruining the moment for me a little bit.

"Alright, enough of this Kodak moment! Let them eat! Silver is starting to drool!" Emmet boomed jokingly. The room erupted in laughter. _'Thank you Emmet!'_ He was always good for a laugh. And to take my mind of my problems.

'_Edward'_ I sighed as I heard his name echo in my head.

Silver wiped her mouth just in case she really was drooling. Then we ate.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! **

**....Please Review :)**


	21. Halls Decked With More Than Holly

Chapter 21- Halls Decked With More Than Holly

Silver's POV:

Christmas Eve Continued….

"Okay, okay, everyone is here, right?" Alice asked as we lined up outside, Devan and I the only ones bundled up for the weather. Alice was about to unveil the house to us in all its decorated glory. It was the first time the house had ever been decorated for Christmas and it was a huge deal to Alice that we all see for the first time as a family.

I was curious to see what she had done so I took Devan's hand gave her a pleading smile. I could tell she didn't want to use her talent at the moment, but she sighed and shut her eyes briefly and shared her sight with me. She was getting a bit better at controlling her visions. In a flash of light the future appeared.

The house was gorgeous. White lights lined each roof and window and twisted up the pillars of the house. There were multi-colored lights on each tree, which was a lot of trees. The driveway was lined with candy canes all the way to the road. There were lit up reindeer scattering on the front lawn. The shrubs, the bushes, and every other possible place to put lights was covered in them! Overly done, but absolutely breathtaking. There was a loud popping sound and everything went dark.

Devan nudged me back to the present. I looked at her to see if she was going to say anything about what we had witnessed.

"Everyone ready?" Alice called from the rooftop. She was holding both ends two extension cord about to connect them.

"Uh…Alice!" I stepped forward, still recovering from Devan's vision. It was too late. She was ignored me and had already plugged the two cords together. The bright lights blinded us all. She did a back flip off the roof and landed near us.

"Well?!" She asked ecstatically.

"Wow!" said Devan. Even though we had already seen the outcome of Alice's house decorating abilities the actual sight was still a jolt to the system. I winced as I looked around. It was so amazing! _'I am about to go blind I think!'_

"Very cool, Alice! The best I have ever seen!" I told her, she hugged me joyfully and I smiled back at her.

"Geez Alice! Did you buy out all of Newton's Christmas light stock for this?" Edward asked.

"Oh, no. I had to go to Port Angeles for all this. 4 trips!" Alice beamed proudly. I could feel the eyes rolling. There was no stopping Alice.

"It is beautiful, Alice," Esme offered.

"Very festive." Carlisle added.

"Yes, it is extremely well done, I think you should turn them off now," Devan blurted out.

Alice's face dropped a tiny bit and looked to Devan for more of an explanation. Alice got that look on her face. The one that she got when she was involuntarily catching a glimpse of the future. Then she was back with us in a nanosecond.

"Oh..." was her response and she looked at Devan with an 'uh oh' grimace.

"3, 2, 1…" Devan counted down.

POP! And we were in the dark again.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" I chortled through the silence. It was a slow build, but soon we were all having a good laugh at Alice' expense. '_She was a little late on that one,' _I thought.

Emmet and Edward were ribbing Alice about the situation so she threw snowballs at them. Before the boys could retaliate Esme instructed us to go back inside. Carlisle and Jasper went to check the fuse box.

*

*

*

The inside was decorated a little more subtly then the outside. There were bows of holly hanging in every doorway, but that was pretty much it. We hadn't set up a tree. Devan and I didn't want to tell Alice she had missed that part because it might hurt her feelings.

Alice had none of her own memories as a human, only what I had shown her. And sadly, most of her life as a human wasn't very happy. She has been in an asylum for the most part. It was better that she not dwell on that part. She was such a happy little spirit. Right now she was lighting candles and enjoying ever minute of the blackout.

Carlisle and Jasper had returned with bad news. A few wires had been destroyed in the burn out so they would have to get new ones in the morning when the stores were open.

"Where are we going to find a hardware store open on Christmas morning?" I asked. I liked blackouts, but Christmas morning needed pancakes. I was counting on pancakes. _'Yum…pancakes!'_ I thought, smiling as I daydreamed about Esme's blackberry syrup.

"I just called Mr Newton. He kindly offered to open the store for us tomorrow morning just to get the few things we need to get the power back on," Carlisle announced to Devan and me.

"That is nice of him," Devan stated the obvious. Mr Newton was a very good man. He helped coach the boys' soccer and football teams and on occasion would take over for Coach Campbell and run practice for the girl's team. I liked Cody's dad.

"So now what?" Emmet asked with a pout on his perfect face. He was bummed out because he had TiVoed hockey games and he had been planning on watching them tonight.

"Forget about the Hockey!" Rosalie scolded him.

"This is so much fun!" Alice sang as she lit candles in the upstairs living room as we all huddled around and sat in a circle.

"Sure. Just don't burn down our house!" Edward warned, giving her a hard time.

"This is the first black out we've had! We can all tell stories and play games. It will be a blast!" Alice answered without retorting on Edward's comment. Nothing was going to bring down her high. She was loving this almost as much as I was. I loved blackout! We used to get them all the time in London at our Grandmother's house.

"Oooo…we should tell ghost stories!" I said in a low ominous voice. _'I love scary stories!'_

"Great idea!" Alice agreed cheerfully as she placed herself into Jasper's lap and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I will go first!" Emmet offered willingly. He had a mischievous grin on his face that displayed all his sharp, glistening teeth.

"Aaaah," Devan uttered. It was an intense expression that would have frightened any human if they didn't know him. Even though she knew she was safe. Devan was not a fan of scary stories.

"Maybe someone else should start," Esme suggested.

"Aw come on! I want to tell the story of 'Bloody Mary'!" Emmet whined.

"Ooo.. That one is a good one," I cheered and clapped my hand together.

"Have you heard this one, Devan?" Edward asked me. She shook her head.

"Really?" I asked, shocked that she hadn't heard it. _'It is a classic!'_ "Why not?"

"Well, I have heard of it, but I have never heard the story,"

"This just proves that you have not been to enough sleepovers, Devan," Alice told her with a touch of scolding in her voice. She had always tried to get Devan to go with me when I went to my friend's homes to sleep over. It was not her thing. She liked her own bed.

"I told you…I like my own bed!" Devan reminded Alice with a touch of annoyance in her tone. Alice rolled her eyes kindly.

Alice loved the idea of human activities, especially the girly ones! She and I had a sleepover on occasion in her room. Since she didn't sleep it was basically us staying up late painting our nails and then me crashing on her chaise as she continued the sleepover without me. Alice was always up for anything, even if it wasn't suited for a vampire!

"Well, go on then. Tell the story, Emmet," Alice said impatiently. Jasper lovingly stroked her shoulder. _'I miss Seth,'_ I remember as I saw them cuddling so closely. I snapped out of my dreary thought and smiled at Emmet to start the story.

"Carlisle tells it better than me," Emmet admitted looking to Carlisle. I turned my smile to Carlisle. _'This is going to be good!'_

"Very well, if we are all in agreement," Carlisle agreed to tell the story. He waited a moment for any nay says, but there weren't any. Devan would have been the only one. She was a baby when it came to scary stories. But she didn't say a word.

The room got quiet. I sat back on the sofa, squishing myself between Rosalie and Esme. It made me feel safer this way. Then Carlisle began…

"_**She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do to her neighbors. **_

_**Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The neighbors were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch had taken their young ones.**_

_**Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear. The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out of town. **_

_**The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbors. They came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her evil spell upon the miller's daughter. **_

_**The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake. **_

_**As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to make her young again. **_

_**From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped forever in the mirror." **_

"That wasn't so scary," I said as Carlisle finished. Devan was curled up in a ball at the foot of the sofa beside Edward. She glared at me. I was grinning with delight. Jasper and Edward looked bored. Alice and Jasper were all cuddly and in their own World.

"Well, that wasn't the typical Christmas Eve story," Devan mumbled to break the silence.

"We are not the typical family," Edward said. He was smirking at her. She couldn't seem to take her eyes off him.

"Ya…cause' we are better!" Emmet boasted.

"Ya we are!" I agreed. Emmet and I exchanged a high five in the air. "Ow," I laughed softly and rubbed my hand after doing so. _'That stings just a little bit!'_ Emmet chortled in his seat at my reaction.

"Too scary for you?" Edward asked Devan.

"I don't like those kinds of stories," she responded, undoing herself from the ball she was in.

"Oh come on Dev. It is just a story. Nothing to be frightened about," I joked with her.

"That's right. It is only an old wives tale," Carlisle agreed with me.

"Witches! Hah!" Rosalie laughed, "Ridiculous!"

"Really?" I asked genuinely curious about the existence of witches.

"They is no such thing," she told me, looking at me like I was nuts.

"Are you sure?" I asked her; determined there must be witches out there somewhere.

"Yes!" Jasper, Rosalie, Alice and Edward all answered simultaneously.

"Good!" Devan blurted out.

"I find that hard to believe!" I stood my ground. "I mean, come on! Where did the wives tales begin? I am sure they are just in hiding now. Kind of like another secret organization of immortals I know!" _'There has to be witches!'_

"Well, it is certainly a possibility," Carlisle sided with me. I smiled at him gratefully.

"No way!" Emmet belted out and messed my hair with his hand from behind me.

"I never believed that vampires existed until we found Alice," I said, straightening out my hair. "I am not making that mistake again! I am going to keep an open mind," Rosalie shook her head at me.

"You are such a strange child," she told me. I laughed and nodded.

"She is just trying to scare me," Devan said. I smiled.

"No, I'm not…I really do think that witches are real," I stubbornly admitted. "Scaring you is icing on the cake!"

Devan rolled her eyes and then yawned sleepily. As she did the last few candles died down. Esme looked at her watch and gasped at the time. She insisted Devan and I hurry off to bed. I moaned in protest, but begrudgingly got up and gave Esme a hug goodnight.

"Good night, Silver. See you in the morning, bright and early,"

"Not too early," Devan demanded lightly. Esme gave her a hug as well.

"Goodnight, dear. Sleep well," she said lovingly.

"Get a good sleep…we have a lot of festivities to attend to tomorrow!" Alice sang as we left the family to go to bed. _'Festivities…Yay!'_

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I woke up to a buzzing sound and sat up confused. My cell phone rattled on the nightstand. I picked it up. _'I don't remember setting the alarm'_ It was 5:30am. _'Grrr…well I am awake now!'_ I grumbled. I could never go back to sleep once I was up. _'Present time?'_ I thought to myself for a moment. _'No…'_ It was too early to wake Devan. She would be no good to me at this hour anyway. _'Hmm…she slept through the alarm. How nice for her!'_ I looked over to Devan sleeping peacefully all curled up in a ball under her duvet. _'Water might be nice,'_

It was quiet in the hallway. And very dark. The darkest I had ever seen it. _'Ok, now I miss the power!' _I could see dim lights in the living room so I headed out to see who was in there. The room was empty. An oil lamp was lit. I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. I chugged it down and placed the cup in the sink. _'It is so quiet!'_ I walked over to the staircase and looked down. I saw no one there either. _'Maybe they went hunting…'_ I gave up the search and started back to my room. _'May as well get ready. Since I am up,'_ I decided.

I automatically turned the light switch in the bathroom up. Nothing happened. _'Oh ya!'_ I flicked the switch back down._ 'Duh! No electricity means no lights!'_ I could still sort of see because of the moonlight shining in through the high glass windows that edged the ceiling. I began to run the water and wet my hands. I then wet my face. I heard a soft squeaking sound. I stood up straight and looked around. There was nothing there.

I found a towel to wipe my face dry. I heard the sound again and removed the towel. There in the mirror were 3 more faces than the one I had expected to see looking back at me!

"AAAAAAAAAAhh!" I screamed loudly as the faces jumped out at me and I felt cold hands, and a pair or warm ones, grab me. I was frozen in fear. I held my chest like my heart was trying to escape.

"Gotcha!!" A trio sang out. My mouth was hanging open. I was still motionless, one hand holding onto my heart and the other on my face, my eyes wide. They giggled merrily.

"Bloody Hell!!!" I finally found the words. I was panting loudly. It was Rosalie, Alice and Devan. They were all laughing hysterically at me. I felt so shy all of a sudden. And weak. It wasn't me on the receiving end very often.

"We got you sooo good!" Devan beamed with pleasure. I had not seen this coming from her. Normally I pulled the pranks.

"Well, ya! Accosting me in the bathroom in a blackout at 5:30 in the morning…of course I am a bit jumpy," I said as I caught my breath.

"Listen to your heart go! We really got you good!" Alice cheered at the thumping sound coming from inside me.

"Did you think Bloody Mary was in the mirror with you?" Rosalie taunted. I crossed my arms in front of me and indignantly told her no.

"No! I saw three, pale white morons! Two of which have very sharp teeth when they smile like the fricken' Cheshire cat!!!"

"You were afraid, admit it!" Devan said.

"Afraid my heart was in the sink!" I ranted, "I swear it would have jumped out of my chest if it were not for my ribcage," I heaved, getting my breath back. I was beginning to come around and see the hilarity of the moment. I cracked a laugh. Then another one. Suddenly we were all laughing and couldn't stop!

"I still believe in witches!"

"Obviously!" Devan shot back followed by another fit of laughter.

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Once I had recovered from the stunt my sisters had pulled on me, we got ready for the day. Alice was all giddy about some surprise she had for us. I was giddy just looking at her bob up and down. The lights came back on just as we were about to go open presents.

"Yay!" I cheered.

"Wooo." Devan sarcastically joined me in a low voice. Devan was starting to get a bit moody from lack of sleep. _'That will teach her to play pranks on me'_ She had set my phone to wake me and then they hid in the bathroom knowing that I normally can't fall back asleep after being woken up and would most likely get up and get ready once I was awake. I had to admit; it was well planned on Devan's part. She knew me well.

"Cheer up! It is Christmas morning. A time for joy! A time for Merriment! I time for love! A time for pancakes!…Yummmm!" I sang as a skipped around her. She swatted her hands at me and my hype. Adrenaline was pumping trough me!

"Presents first, right?" Alice asked. She was trying to give us the kind of Christmas was used to have when we were kids. It was present's first, then pancake breakfast.

"We could reverse the order now that we aren't children anymore," Devan offered. I shoved her slightly. She lost her balance and almost fell over. She tried to push me back, but I moved away. "Fine…presents it is than," she agreed.

We moved to the downstairs where the fireplace was. As we got to the top of the stairs to head down my eyes popped with thrill. Bows of Holly hung from corner to corner of every inch of the large open room. Twinkle lights wrapped the banister and the windowsills. There were poinsettias in every vase and wreaths on every door. The Cullen house was decorated Alice style for Christmas!

"Oh, Holy Night, Alice! You are the new Chevy Chase of Forks, Washington!"

"Who?" she asked not sure if it was a compliment or an insult. _'Is it a compliment or an insult?'_ I wondered myself.

"Never mind," I brushed it off, "This is amazing!"

"Ya…and very well done!" Devan cooed, as wide-eyed as I was. The family stood at the bottom of the staircase waiting for us.

"Come on! When will you humans learn to pick up the pace!? We are the ones with infinite time, not you!" Emmet called to us.

"Keep your panties on Emmet, we are coming!" I yelled back at him, giving him a glimpse of my tongue as I skipped down. Devan trailed behind holding on to the railing as she walked.

"Good morning, darling! Esme reached out to me as I got to the end of the stairs. I reached back and hugged her. Then she hugged Devan as Alice jumped around like a fidgety kitten and pulled me into the sitting area.

"Piece de resistance!" I chocked out as I found the tree!

"A tree!" Devan exclaimed happily. That was always her favorite part as a child. And this was not your average tree.

This tree was as tall as the 15-foot ceiling and decorated to the max like everything else that Alice had touched. It was the most impressive tree I had seen in years. It was lit up in white lights and it was filled with thousands of opal, gold, and white balls of all shapes and sizes. The branches were flocked with fake snow, but it looked so real I reached out to touch it. On the top was perched a stunning, white and gold angel.

"You like it?" Alice asked, showing my all her pretty, sharp teeth. _'Yikes!'_

"If I said no, would you bite me?" I teased her. She calmed her intense grin a bit and giggled.

"It is brilliant, Alice!" said Devan and she, for the first time, voluntarily hugged Alice.

"Perfect!" I agreed and joined the hug.

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The presents were amazing! Everyone was pleased with their gifts.

Devan and I saved up our money for months to buy present for everyone. When it still wasn't enough to give what we wanted to give Devan used her skill to select a winning ticket at the mall in Port Angeles. Alice knew what we were up to and instead of ratting us out she helped by exchanging the ticket for us and giving us the money. _'Best Aunty ever!'_

We gave tickets to a Coldplay concert to each of our siblings. It was a mutual love affair we all seemed to share for that band. The concert was not until the spring, but we had bought front row seats so it was going to be a great time!

I bought Esme a blow glass vase like the one I had broken when I was throwing a shoe at Emmet. Devan bought her the exact replica of rug that she had ruined the night she mistakenly downed 7 cups of Tequila Sunrise! The family laughed a bit when Esme received her gifts from us, but Esme was thrilled. She had to put up with a lot with us living in her home. We made a mess sometimes and she was more than tolerant with us.

Carlisle was the hardest to buy for. We decided to get him a membership and loaded credit card to his favorite bookstore in Seattle that carried all the latest medical textbooks that he would pore over in his spare time. He seemed genuinely pleased with the thought even though I thought it he was getting ripped off a bit.

As for Devan and I…we were spoiled as usual.

Edward, Jasper and Emmet all chipped in and bought me the iPhone 3G. I had wanted one for a long time. It came with a list of rule, like no texting in class and not to exceed 300 minutes per month, but I didn't want to think about that. 'A frickin' iPhone_ 3G! I loved it!' _Devan didn't need a new phone. She had a bad track record with cell phones. She currently had my one of my old ones because she had lost her 3rd one at the beach in La Push last summer. _'Wretched, horrible day that it was!'_ I grumbled in my head thinking back.

Rosalie surprised me a little. I hadn't told anyone I needed a new shoulder bag. I had spilt hot chocolate on my white Chanel purse a few weeks ago. I was over the moon when I opened a package from her and inside was a black, lambskin Chanel tote that was a billion times nicer than my old one. She got a huge hug from me for that one!

Esme and Carlisle bought us new, leather book bags. A nice thought, but more for Devan's benefit since her backpack was ripping from a textbook overload. I didn't even know where my last backpack was. I hadn't used it in so long. _'If it doesn't fit in my Chanel bag than it doesn't deserve to come with me!'_

Alice knew exactly what I wanted. Shoes! Two pair of Jimmy Choo's and a pair of Manolo Blahnik's. _'Perfection!' _And she withheld her urge to get a similar gift of shoes for Devan and instead she and Jasper bought her an electric piano to record her music on. Edward, Emmet and Rosalie bought her a new laptop and computer program to go with her new piano so she could compose her own music. Devan was as overwhelmed with her gifts as I was with mine.

After all the gifts were opened, and everyone said their thank yous and exchanged hugs it was time for pancakes. I was the last to leave the sitting room. I was tidying up the wrapping paper and playing with my new iPhone while the others went to get the meal started. I heard a tap at the window. I went over to see what it was.

'_Seth!'_ My eyes bugged out of my head. _'What is he doing here?'_ I looked around. No one was there behind me to yell at me. Alice must have seen this coming. _'Where was Alice to shoo him away?' _And even if she hadn't seen this coming Edward must be able to hear Seth's thoughts right now. And they all would have heard him sneak up to the house like they had heard Devan and I sneak up a few years ago on the night we first met Mary Alice. _'Unless he had been really quiet maybe?'_ I ignored my panicked thoughts and moved to him.

I opened the patio door and stepped out into the snow in my cookie monster pj's and fuzzy bunny slippers. He stood there, steaming in the frigid crisp of morning. He was holding a tiny package in his hand with a red bow on it. He didn't say a word. I kept my mouth shut too. I knew that more than one person was watching us at the moment. I could feel it. A smile spread in slow motion across my face as he placed the box in my hand.

I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. A shiny pendant in white gold glittered up at me. It was in the shape of a crescent moon and had a tiny diamond sparkling in the center. My soft smile spread to a really, really large smile as he pulled it from the box. A chain attached to it dangled in the air before he grabbed each end. **(Check out Silver's look and present from Seth by going to my Profile)**

I turned around and lifted my hair up and he looped the necklace over my head and clasped it behind my neck. I dropped my black, pin straight hair when he was finished and turned back around to meet his eyes. He bowed his head and turned to leave. _'Say thank you!'_ I told myself, but I didn't want to speak.

Alice would be mad, but I didn't care. I was already in too deep. I reached out clasped my hand on his arm right above his elbow and stopped him from leaving. I stepped into his arms and tippy-toed myself as tall as I could so I could reach him. He didn't hesitate to kiss me back. He let me lean on his strong arms and lifted me up with ease so our lips touched.

'_Sigh…......and wow!'_ It was warm and intense, but gentle at the same time. I am not sure how long it lasted. It felt endless. Then our lips parted from one another's and we slowly backed away to look in each others eyes. I could have stayed like that forever.

He placed me back down into my bunny slippers, which were now wet from standing in the snow. I smiled slowly as I waved to him and backed up to go back inside. He bowed his head again and this time I let him leave. I closed the patio door once I was inside and watched him fade into the dense woods. _'Whoa! That was a kiss! My first kiss! What a kiss! Ahhhh!' _It was almost too much joy to contain.

I heard the clanking of dishes coming from the kitchen upstairs. I gulped, my eyes still wide. '_Did I dream that?'_ I walked the large, spiral staircase in what seemed like slow motion. _'Breathe Silver,'_ I reminded myself. _'Just act like nothing happened,'_ I reached the kitchen finally. Everyone paused and looked at me. _'Oh shit!' _A smile was creeping onto my face. I couldn't help myself._ 'They totally saw that!'_

No one said anything as I took a place next to Devan who was swirling a spoon around in pancake batter, the only one oblivious to what had just happened I figured. I was careful not to look into anyone's eyes. I grabbed the flipper that was sitting out on the counter and held it up.

"I'll flip!" I announced. I had a slight smirk on my mouth. I flashed back to the moment I had just had with Seth outside in the snow and when I came out of my vision I was beaming like a fool. _'I am going to hit replay for the rest of my life!'_ I glanced up and there were more than a few concerned glares at me. Alice's caught my attention most. _'She doesn't seem angry. It isn't like I broke my promise. I didn't go to him...he came to me!' _

The pros out weighed the cons in this situation I decided. I shrugged at Alice with a sincere expression of apology on my face. Only for a second, though. _'I am not that sorry!'_ My smile returned. She didn't move. I turned back to the pancakes and flipped one up in the air and caught it on a plate with the other hand. I put the plate down in front of me and continued to enjoy my moment of pure bliss.

I placed my hand over the gift Seth had just given me. It felt warm against my cold palm. '_I will worry about consequences some other time….' _

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**Review...pretty please?! :) **

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_**(This version of 'Bloody Mary' was written by S. E. Schlosser and I copied and pasted it cause' I didn't know the story very well)**_

_***** Thank you to THIS IS NICOLE CULLEN who shared this knowledge with me about 'Bloody Mary' :**_

_**'actually the truth of bloody Mary is that she was really a queen during medieval times. She was queen Elizabeth's sister/ Henry the 8ths daughter and she tried to change all of the protestants back to Catholics so she went on a rampage and killed over a thousands of people be cutting there stomachs open and then burning them alive, making all the townspeople watch because they were all friends of the victims and they would try to make their friends deaths faster so they added hay to the fire and then they would kill them. That's how she got the name bloody Mary because of how she ruled. And also that's how she got a drink (bloody Mary) named after her because you would walk into a pub and say "hey did you here what bloody Mary did today" '**_

*****But go with what Carlisle said about it being a wives tale for the sake of the story! Hehehe! ;)**


	22. Freaky Friday

Chapter 22- Freaky Friday

Devan's POV:

Almost two months had past since Christmas. Silver was still talking to Seth via messenger any chance she could. She didn't hide her feeling for him from the family anymore. She and Alice fought Christmas Day after we ate our pancake breakfast. It had something to do with a promise that Silver had made with her about not pursuing Seth. It got kind of ugly, but Alice cooled down after a while.

At the time I didn't know what had sparked the break out, but later that evening Silver showed me the necklace Seth had given her and spilled to me about the kiss they had outside in the snow that morning.

The whole family, besides me, tried to make Silver see reason to stay away from Seth, but Silver would not hear any of it. She was determined that everything would turn out okay and refused to give him up. Esme and Carlisle didn't forbid her from seeing Seth even though that was what they all thought was best. They knew that nothing would stop Silver once her mind was made up and set on something. Rosalie was the most upset with Silver, fearing Seth might find out our secret and expose us.

I didn't know Seth very well, but he seemed to really care about my sister. And Silver was so happy that I didn't want her to lose him. Silver was sure that Seth could be trusted. So far, he had no idea that my family was made up of 7 vampires and the two of us. If he should ever find out the truth about us he was bound by the treaty the Quileute Tribe had with the Cullens. He was not allowed to tell anyone. And Silver was sure Seth could be trusted.

He never came around our house after Christmas. He was not allowed on the property. And Silver was still forbidden to step foot on Quileute land because Alice couldn't see her future when she was over there. They rarely got to see each other and mostly chatted online. Silver was not quite content with the whole situation. She hoped that in time the family would come to like Seth and except him so she could bring him around more often.

I had my own problems. My infatuation with Edward had not softened. I was better at controlling my emotions around him now. We still spent time together. It made my stomach hurt from repressing my urge to get closer to him. He seemed oblivious to my secret crush on him. As did the rest of the family. I still had not told Silver about it. Alice knew. She was empathetic, but I didn't want to involve her so I pretended the whole thing was not troubling me as much as it really was.

The days seemed to drag on and on for me. It was exhausting keeping a secret. I filled up my time with school studies and my music. It was now February and the snow was gone. It was back to damp, cold, rain. I had slipped and fallen down twice this year so far. Luckily I had escaped any serious injury on both occasions.

I was a wreck. I did my best to keep myself put together and not let on that I was so unhappy on the inside. I was glad that Silver was happy with Seth, but a part of me was very envious of their happiness. I knew better than to give into temptation, though. I was going to wait it out and eventually the longing I had to be near Edward would fade. I was sure of it!

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**February, Friday the13th. Morning……..**

The rain was pouring down outside when I woke up. I scowled at the sound. _'Why?!'_ I whined internally. A moan escaped my lips. I had to get up. I had already hit the snooze button on my alarm 3 times. I heaved a huge grunt and kicked my duvet off me. It slid to the floor. I remained lying starfish on my back. _'Could today get any worse?' _I questioned sourly. _'Probably!' _

"Devan?" I heard my name through the door followed by, "It is time to get up, honey. Breakfast is getting cold," _'No time for breakfast!'_ I protested without speaking. I rolled onto my side and wished I could freeze the day so I could lie in bed longer. _'I hate going to school!'_

I sat myself up, disgruntled by my everyday routine. I didn't mind studying or learning new things. That part was interesting. I just loathed being one of a large mass of students in a crowed room. Most of which, didn't care about their education at all.

Today was a half-day for the freshman class. We had our regularly scheduled classes in the morning and after lunch it was Career Day. We were assigned to go to work with a parent and report on the experience. I hated hospitals so Jodie offered that I go with her to her parent's work. They owned the dinner in town. Silver was going to go to the hospital with Carlisle.

"Devan?" the same voice was back at the bedroom door again. At least Esme wasn't like Silver, who when sent to wake me would jump on me and sing! This I could handle.

"I'm up," I mumbled, my voice cracking a bit.

"Oh good, dear. You have only 20 minutes until the others are planning to leave," she reminded me. _'Great!'_ I sarcastically thought and stood myself upright.

"Okay, thank you," I replied so she would leave me be.

I got washed up and brushed my teeth. I put on my dark, navy jeans and a gray t-shirt with piano on it. I didn't bother to do my hair. I tied it in a messy knot at the back of my head and put a black cap on instead. I put on my black bangles, a silver ring and my turquoise, rose ring. I slipped earrings in my ears and then put on and my flat, skimmer runners and packed my leather book bag. It was not quite big enough for all the books I had so I carried my binder on the outside.

"Look who's up!" Alice twittered around me with her perfectly spiked hair and lovely face. I didn't acknowledge she statement. They were all ready to go leave so I followed them out.

"Devan! You need to eat breakfast!" Esme told me as I was heading to the door. She came up to me swiftly and gracefully holding a bag of food and an apple.

"Thanks,"

"Eat on the way," she suggested with a warm smile. I managed to return the gesture.

But I didn't eat on the way. I was too grumpy about today's upcoming rituals. English, Spanish, Gym, Math! Fridays were hard because I had already put in 4 long days. I was ready for a weekend.

I was quiet during the car ride to school. Everyone knew that I wasn't a morning person so they didn't speak to me. Silver was texting Seth and smiling all the way. I took a quick look at Edward and then looked away. He was driving at top speed, but his body language was relaxed. _'How does he make everything look so good? He even drives sexy!' _I turned away and sighed._ 'You are a fool, Devan'_

We pulled up to the school parking lot and rushed inside. We had almost been late because of me this morning. I made it to my English class just on time. I sat in my usual spot. I handed in my neatly written essay. I tried to follow along with the class, but my mind was heavy with thoughts of Edward. The way he played the piano made my heart swell. I could hear him playing in my head all the time now. It was the only thought that calmed me.

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It was 5 minutes until the lunch bell was going to ring. The morning had been slow. I was actually starting to look forward to Career Day. Jodie was excited to have the afternoon off and to have me come to the diner with her. I was not as enthusiastic, but at least I didn't have to go to the hospital with Silver. Sick or injured people made me feel very uncomfortable. Silver didn't react to pain or blood like I did. She could pretty much handle any situation. _'I hate how she can smile her way out of things!'_

Silver was sending a text as the bell rang to excuse us from class. She popped up and grabbed my hand like she had just had an epiphany.

"Devan…follow me!" she told me. I was confused and therefore I didn't budge.

"Where?"

"Please!" Silver begged. She looked desperate so I nodded quickly. Jodie was not happy with this. We were planning to leave straight from class to go meet her mom in the parking lot and eat lunch at the diner.

"I will meet you outside in a few minutes, Jodie," I told her. She frowned, but agreed to it and left.

Silver had me by the hand and tugged me out of the classroom and down the hallway. She pulled my into the girls washroom and then looked to make sure no one was in there with us. When she was sure we were alone she looked at me with frantic eyes. _'This can't be good!'_ I decided before I knew what she was up to.

"What the hell, Silver? Go pee by yourself!" I said frustrated that I was in the bathroom with her.

"I don't have to pee! I need a favor! I have a great idea and I need your help!"

"No way!" I said. _'Nothing good ever comes from Silver's planning!'_

"Please, Dev! I need you!" her plea was so genuine and she really seemed to need me. My shell began to give way.

"What is it?" I sighed.

"I need you to switch places with me!"

"Huh?"

"I haven't seen Seth in person in 2 weeks. If we switch places I will go with Jodie to the diner and Seth will meet me there. Alice won't be expecting that,"

"What? No way, Silver," I scoffed at her. _'That will never fly!'_

"Please! No one will know. Not if we are good. You be me and I will be you!"

"Come on! We are nothing alike!"

"On the inside! But we are exactly the same on the outside and no one will know if we keep up the act,"

"You are crazy!" I told her. _'She is insane, clearly!'_

"Devan…I really want this. I got grounded when you got drunk at Halloween…you owe me!" She told me. I did tell her that at some point. I had felt bad that she had been punished for my mistake.

"Sliver…anything else but this,"

"This is what I want. It will be just like when we were kids. We used to do this all the time and no one knew," she told me and began to strip her cloths off.

"Silver!" I protested. She was smiling mischievously. It was the same joy she got from trading places as kids. We had never been caught when we did it to our parents.

"Take off your cloths and switch with me. Hurry up!"

I don't know how she did it, but I found myself doing as she told me. 3 minutes later I was wearing her jeans, black blazer and fancy gold and black, heart flats. She was in my outfit and messing her hair up in the mirror. Then she stuck my hat on and began to pull at my hair and braid it like she had done to hers this morning. **(Check out their swapping outfits on my profile)**

"This is not going to work," I kept repeating. She hushed me and continued to swap jewelry with me until we were appeared to be one another.

"Just be happy! All you have to do is be happy! Smile and don't say anything that will give it away," She instructed me as she grabbed my book bag and placed her Chanel purse in my hand. _'It is so much lighter, I have to admit!'_ I thought as I looked around to see if I had more to carry. _'Silver traveled light!'_

"I still think this is stupid," I told her. She didn't seem to care. "Please don't be too outgoing. If I have to be you, you'd better be normal around my friend and her mom,"

"Of course! The ultimate acting challenge!" Silver chirped. Then she took a breath and looked to the door. "I'd better go meet Jodie. I will see you at home tonight. We can switch back then! Oh…and try not to slip on anything. I don't do that!"

"Ha ha!" I sarcastically called out to her as she left me in the bathroom. I stood there in shock for a moment while I realized what I was getting myself into. A 12th grader came into the bathroom and smiled at me. I smiled at her awkwardly and then decided I had better move along. I went into the hallway and tried to calm my nerves. I knew that Carlisle was planning on picking Silver up after lunch so I killed time by organizing Silver's locker, putting all her things in alphabetical order. _'Hah! She'll love this! Serves her right!'_

"Silver!"

I jumped as I turned and found Carlisle standing next to me in the hallway. I hadn't realized so much time had gone by. _'Is it time to go already?'_

"Oh, hi!" I tried to be perky, but it came out sounding funny from my mouth._ 'Perky is not my cup of tea!'_

"Is everything alright?" he asked me, putting his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were truly caring.

"Ya! I am great!"

"I thought we decided to meet in the parking lot at noon. Did you not hear me call your name just now?"

"Um…no. I got distracted. I wasn't listening," I sputtered._ 'Answer to Silver! Answer to Silver!' _I reminded myself. _'Already off to a brilliant start, Devan!'_ I thought sarcastically.

"You need to work on that, Silver," Carlisle told me. He and Esme had told Silver time and time again to be more attentive in school. She was so flighty and jumped from one thing to another so quickly.

"Ya, I know!" I laughed it off. It was pretty much in keeping with how Silver would have reacted to that last statement too.

"Shall we?" he smiled and began to usher me to the parking lot. _'He thinks I am Silver!'_

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Carlisle had fallen for it. He thought I was my sister. I was thankful he had a lot to say on the drive to the hospital. It made it easier on me not to come up with anything Silver might say. He gave me a run through of what we were going to do today. He planned to take me on a tour of the hospital first. Then he was going to take me on rounds with him. His patients knew he had a daughter coming today and were fine with it. And after that he had a shift in the ER to fill in for another doctor who had another engagement to go to.

"This is the registration desk…" he told me as we first entered the hospital.

"I figured as much!" I blurted out in the most cheerful tone I could managed. It sounded off, not nearly as funny as it would have came from Silver's lips. He smiled at me. I smiled back. I felt like an impostor. _'I am a fake!' _I took in what he was telling me. I felt the urge to take notes, but Silver had no notepad in her purse. _'Who am I kidding? Silver would never take notes!' _

"Once the patient has filled out these forms…." I wanted to speak up and say something that Silver might say, but it was too hard to think of anything. I decided to take a more quiet approach from that point onward. At least I would not be making a fool of myself of Silver if I was quiet. "The ER is that way…" he continued the tour, still believing I was my sister. _'So far so good! Just watch your step and you will be fine,'_ I coached myself.

"My office is on the 3rd floor," Carlisle told me as we got into the elevator again. He had already taken me around the whole hospital and shown me the labs, the operation rooms and even the linen closet.

"You are awfully quiet," he observed.

"Oh…ya! I am trying to focus on what you are saying," I told him. He was still smiling kindly, but he looked slightly thrown off by my behavior. I tucked some stray hair behind my hair, something that Silver had a habit of doing often and then I pulled out her lip-gloss and put a bit on. _'That should do it! Silver isn't Silver unless she has her lip gloss on!'_

"Here we are," he told me as we got off on the 3rd floor and headed to the right. "This is my office," he said. The plaque on the door read his name followed by MD. He showed me inside and offered me a seat. Then he sat down and asked me if I had any questions.

"Is there anything you would like to ask me?"

"Nope!" I replied. It seemed a bit rude. I would never have said that, but Silver would have. She was quite blunt, especially these days when she rushed through everything to get to home to chat with Seth. "I think you have been very thorough," I said with a grin, remembering the linen closet he showed me. _'Silver is always smiling about something or other. She would have gotten a kick out touring a closet!'_

"Very good. I have a few patients to check in with. We should get going,"

"Right!" I answered as bravely as I could. I was not looking forward to this part. I was already feeling a bit queasy from the iodine smell wafting around. The operating room had been the worst! The Betadine they used for sterilization made the whole place smell just terrible.

*

*

*

I had been doing very well. Most of the patients Carlisle had to check on were being released so there was no blood or gore. I stood back silently and watched Carlisle work. He was an amazing doctor. Very compassionate and gentle. I could tell that his patients liked having him near. He put them at ease. Not only was he extremely good looking, with a good 300 years more experience than the average human; he was the wisest man they would ever meet. He had an amazing presence.

After he had finished his rounds and filed the paperwork at the nurse's station it was time to brave the ER. The way people would look up and stare at him as he entered a room was lost on him. _'I guess he is used to it by now,'_ It was kind of slow in the ER. _'Thank you lucky star!' _I thought and look to the ceiling.

"Dr Cullen, there is a woman in curtain area 3 who has brought her son in with a leg wound. They are waiting for you," a young nurse with red hair told him, her cheeks pink. _'Oh no... a leg wound! That sounds like a bloody mess!' _I panicked slightly, but controlled myself enough that Carlisle didn't seem to notice.

"Thank you, Sonia," he told her and he reached out for me to follow him. _'Oh crap!'_ I couldn't wimp out. Silver was not squeamish at all. She had never had stitches herself, but I had them on numerous occasions in the past and she was usually there to hold my hand and ask the doctor sewing me up heaps of questions about what he was doing.

I trailed along beside Carlisle walking with as much grace as I could muster. I had not tripped or slipped on anything yet and there was only 4 more hours to go. I hoped this part would be over soon. Carlisle swung open the curtain and there sat a young boy with his leg propped up on a pillow, wrapped with a bloody towel. _'Oh dear,' _I winced slightly at the sight and then looked at the mother. _'Nope…can't look at her either!'_ She has blood on her shirt too. I fixed my eyes at the back of Carlisle's head and stood back. Anything to do with blood made me dizzy.

It seemed excruciatingly long it seemed. I was clutching myself tightly to stop myself from shaking. I so badly wanted to flee the scene. However, since I couldn't flee I was trapped and unable to look away. I tried to focus my eyes on other things, but they kept darting back to the Carlisle's smooth hands stitching up the boy's leg. Every stitch I held my breath. _'Carlisle is a vampire and he tolerates blood better than me...what is my problem? Suck it up, girl!'_ I thought.

In actuality it had only taken a total of 19 minutes for Carlisle to fix up the boy's leg. He was very fast. When he finished he gave the boy a purple lollypop and made the kids' day! _'I need one of those!'_ I thought. My stomach hurt from wearing Silver's super tight jeans and from wrapping my arms around myself and clutching on to my sides. _'It is over! Thank goodness for that!'_

"That was so quick!" the mother told Carlisle. "And he didn't cry at all. You are wonderful with kids," she complimented him. She was flirting a bit. I rolled my eyes. No one saw me do it. Carlisle thanked her for the compliment and explained to the boy and his mother how to clean around the wound and to be careful not to get it wet.

"Thank you, Dr Cullen," the boy's mother said as she pick him up and carried him out of the curtained area and headed to sign some papers.

"You are most welcome. Take care, Thomas," Carlisle reciprocated and then he stood up and turned to me. I finally released my grasp on myself. My hands felt warm and tingly from clenching myself too tightly. I hadn't realized how long I had been standing in one spot. A wave of nausea overtook me.

"Silver?" I heard him say, but all I could see was tiny white flecks of light. Then I felt his cool arms catch under my arms and then under my legs as a weightless feeling came over me.

*

*

*

I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying down. I could not have been out for long. It was just Carlisle and I in a curtained off area. Reality hit me pretty fast. _'I passed out. Oh crap! Silver will kill me for this!'_ I was a tiny bit dazed. I felt 100% better than I had right before the white flecks appears though.

"Silver?" Carlisle called out my sister's name to me with concern as he hovered over me. _'Oh good, he still thinks I am Silver. Now, what would Silver's reaction to this be?' _I wondered. I needed to keep up the charade. I tried to get up. Silver was like me in the sense that she didn't like to show her pain. She was pretty tough.

"Not yet, dear. Lie back and rest for a few minutes. Give your body time to recuperate," he insisted and he gently held me down so I couldn't sit up. I gave into him. He was far too strong from my weak upper body to fight against.

I had one of those clip on pulse oximeters on my right index finger. He looked down to check the reading.

"I am fine," I insisted. He smiled at me warmly and nodded very gently. Something in his facial expression told me he was not buying it.

"Silver, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, innocently.

"You have been a little off your game today,"

"I don't know. I guess I have had a lot on my mind," I told him honestly.

"Anything you would like to talk to me about? I may be able to help," he offered. I so badly wanted to spill about my feelings for Edward to him. I wanted someone to tell me I was an idiot for feeling that way. Someone to talk some sense into me! _'No! It would ruin everything. Besides…he thinks you are Silver right now,' _I cautioned myself.

"No…I am okay. I am fine, really!" I persisted and sat myself up. He allowed it this time. I folded my left leg in and under my right leg, which I let hang off the gurney.

"You are not normally so squeamish. I never pegged you to be one to faint so easily," he told me, taking a blood pressure cuff from a holder and wrapping it around my arm.

"I missed lunch today," I told the truth. I had not ever gotten around to eating the apple or bag lunch Esme had made me.

"That is unlike you. Isn't Lunch your favorite period?" he asked with a sense of humor as he blew up the pressure cuff around my arm.

"Hah! Yeah," I laughed. Silver really liked the social hour of school. He listened intently through his stethoscope to the blood pulsing through my arm as he released the air from the cuff.

"Well, everything seems to be in order," He told me, removing his stethoscope from his ears and folding it into his lapel pocket. He unvelcroed the blood pressure cuff from my arm and hung it back on its stand.

"Thanks. I am sorry,"

"Don't be. I am just glad it was a simple case of low blood sugar and not something more serious,"

"Ya," I replied. In retrospect, I should have eaten something instead of organizing Silver's locker, but at the time I didn't think of it.

"Your blood smells fine to me," he said very softly, leaning in a bit to make sure no one could hear him. "With all the adrenaline your body secreted when you fainted your blood sugar is in the normal range right now,"

"You can tell all that?" I asked him, amazed at his sense of smell. He nodded. I was impressed. _'This would make a great written piece for the assignment if only I could share it!' _Carlilse must be the World's greatest doctor. _One of a kind!_

"You are going to be just fine, dear," he told me, then paused before he continued. "I am a little worried about you, though,"

"worried?" I asked, playing dumb. I tried to smile it off like Silver would do.

"I sense you are stressed about something. It is not like you to let things get the better of you,"

"Oh...well," I muttered. He just stood there, in front of me, waiting for an explanation.

"I'd really like to help you if you'd let me,"

"It's just..." I began. _'Think, Devan. Think! What is something Silver would worry about?' _

"It can be between us," he offered. I bit my lip. _'Seth!'_ I was curious to know more about the Cullens and the deal with the Quileutes. And I sensed there was more to the story then they had revealed to us. I sighed.

"It is about Seth..." I started. He nodded and sat next to me on the bed. I don't think he was expecting this topic. "What I don't get is why Alice is so insistent that Seth is dangerous. He has no idea about...you know..."

"Yes, well. I think it is better you not know the whole truth..."

"But I need to know the truth! If you want me to stay safe. I know there is more than what you have told me. I need to know what is so dangerous about hanging out with Seth," I pleaded.

"Not today, Silver. You need to go home and rest right now,"

"You will tell me, though? Later?" I seemed a bit frantic. _'Silver would be frantic, this is good!'_

"This evening. When I come home from work. If you are still adamant about knowing, I will tell you, yes," he agreed. He didn't seem too pleased about it. He pretty face was pained. _'Silver needs to know the truth. If he is a danger to our family we both need to know,'_

"Okay," I mumbled, nodding my head. He got up and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I will be right back. I am going to call Esme to come pick you up so you can go home and eat and get some rest,"

"But what about the assignment?" I asked. _'Whoops!'_

"Since when has getting out of an assignment bothered you?" he asked, slightly amused.

"Well, it is worth a big chunk of my grade," I said. _'Silver would never say that!'_

"Don't worry about it. I will help you with it this weekend," he offered with a bit of perplex spread on his stunningly handsome face. I smiled and agreed.

He walked off to call Esme and I sat there and waited for her to come pick me up. In a way it was a good thing I blacked out. Now I could get out of the last 3 and a half hours of Career Day and sit at home until Silver came and gave me my identity back. I couldn't wait to be me again. The real me.

I brief vision flashed into my mind. Silver and Seth were together holding hands and walking in the rain on the beach. La Push Beach! As soon as the vision ended I looked around to see if anyone saw my telling face. No one had. _'Silver isn't even at the diner!'_ And and top of that she is breaking her promise to the family._ 'Oh great!'_

I had to figure out how I was going to do the assignment. Silver could just look into my past and figure see this all for herself if she wanted so she could get by. I on the other hand, I was screwed.

Obviously, Silver was taking the assignment very seriously on her end….

**Review please. It really pleases me. Don't be shy! :) Thank you all for reading! **


	23. Freakishly Freaky Friday

Chapter 23 –Freakishly Freaky Friday

Silver's POV:

It had been nearly two months since I kissed Seth. I was absolutely smitten with him. I thought of him constantly. I didn't care who knew. I was not about to lose him just because of an agreement our families made 50 some year ago. That would be absurd!

Alice was less than pleased with me for going behind her back and continuing my relationship with Seth. The rest of the family was also unhappy about it. Rosalie was livid! She thought he would spill the beans about them being vampires and we would be forced to move. She even went so far as to suggest the Volturi would kill us if Seth betrayed the treaty.

I felt awful for causing such chaos in our home, but I was certain that Seth cared enough for me that if he did find out the truth he would keep it secret. I was surprised when they didn't go to great efforts to keep me from him. Obviously the promise I made to Alice about staying off Quileute land still stuck, but they allowed us to still see each other. The trouble was that Seth was not allowed on our property. His family didn't approve of me either! His sister, Leah was a real Bitch!

Seth was of the same mind as I was. He didn't want to give me up. So we continued to chat online as often as we could and talked on the telephone sometimes as well. He would come to my practices and I would go to Cody's games just to see Seth. It still wasn't enough for us. Our schedules conflicted and we hardly ever got one on one time with each other.

Devan owed me for the night she had mistaken tequila for orange punch so I was trying to think of how she could help me in this situation. Devan was on my side. I sensed she was worried about the conflict between the family and me over it, but she remained supportive. I was lucky to have such a great sister.

Devan was a bit of a mess lately. She was acting like a recluse a lot of the time. Just like she had in the summertime. Edward noticed it too I think. Devan was more of a spaz than usual. I tried to get her to tell me what was bothering her but she told me it was nothing. I knew Devan well enough to know that she could handle it on her own when she was ready. That was her style.

I just wanted her to be happier. School was hard on her. She tried to be so perfect all the time. I would invite her to hang out with me, Cody and Seth, but she only joined us a few times. She said it was because she hated sports, but part of my thinks she is uncomfortable seeing me with Seth. Perhaps she was lonely.

I thought of trying to set her up with Cody. He was a sweetie. Really cute too! I hadn't suggested it to her yet. I knew she'd refuse. I still kept the idea in the back of my mind. Cody had mentioned Devan a few times lately. He had a tiny bit of a crush on her I think. He wondered where she was when she didn't come to watch my games.

Devan came out with me less and less now. I did spend a lot of time thinking, talking, and texting about Seth lately. That was probably not fun for her. I could understand that. I tried my best not to flaunt my joyfulness, but it was impossible sometimes. I felt like I could just pop and spray joy everywhere! Joy joy joy!

*

*

*

**February, Friday the13th. Morning……..**

"Where is your sister?" Esme asked, looking at her watch. I shrugged and took another large spoonful of cereal.

"We are leaving in 20 minutes!" Rosalie announced.

"I'd better go check on her. She has hit that snooze button 3 times," Esme decided. She smoothly glided out of the kitchen and down the hall to our bedroom.

"So Silver….Career Day today! Are you excited?" Alice beamed at me.

"I guess so!" I replied with a smile. I was going to go to the hospital with Carlisle this afternoon. We had class in the morning and then in the afternoon we were assigned to go to work with our parents and write a paper on the experience.

"You're lucky!" She told me. I had my mouth full, but I tilted my head in question. "I mean, you really get to go to work with Carlisle. None of us could go on our Career Day. It was too big a risk,"

"I see…you mean if there was blood?!" I mumbled. She nodded back at me.

"Well, I for one was glad not having to participate!" Rosalie said. She didn't look up from filing her nails. She barely spoke to me anymore. I didn't dare ask her to do my hair anymore. She was annoyed with my about stubbornly insisting on seeing Seth.

"I think it will be interesting for you to see Carlisle at work. He is such a wonderful doctor. And his control is astounding. Do you realize how long it took him to perfect his craft?" Alice exclaimed with wide eyes. _'Ya…Carlisle is pretty awesome!'_ I agreed silently as I bobbed my head up and down and swallowed a mouthful of milk.

"Ya…hundreds of years! I think I will write about it in my report!" I joked in Rosalie's direction. Her jaw clenched, but she didn't respond to my treat of exposure. I would never ever do anything to hurt the family. I was just kidding around. Edward smirked. He liked to poke fun at Rosalie too.

"She says she is up," Esme informed us when she came back into the kitchen. Everyone else was aware of that. It was news to me though.

"You sure? She is pretty hard to get up. I could go make sure!" I offered.

"No, dear. Let her be. I think she needs her space," Esme stopped me from going with a warm smile. I shrugged. _'Esme is probably right. Devan doesn't seem to like me sitting on her to wake her up!'_ Esme began making Devan a bagged lunch. She offered to make me one too, but I told he no thank you, because I was going to buy lunch in the cafeteria today.

Several minutes later Devan appeared dressing in a simple jeans and t-shirt outfit.

"Look who's up!" Alice bounced around Devan cheerfully. Devan did not bounce back. _'Looks like Devan has her grump on today!'_ I told myself. Rosalie was in a rush to go. We were running a bit behind this morning because of Devan.

"Devan! You need to eat breakfast!" Esme called to Devan as we headed to the front door. She ran down to us and handed Devan a bag of food and a shiny, red apple. " Thanks," Devan graciously accepted the handout from her.

"Eat on the way," Esme told her. Devan gave a short nod and followed the rest of us to Edward's Volvo. She shoved the food into her bag as best as she could. It was stuffed with books as usual. She stared blankly out the window the whole way to school. I thought it was best not to talk to her. She seemed content being left alone for now. She was not a morning person.

I chatted with Seth briefly by text. I couldn't help but smile every time my phone beeped at me to tell me another text had arrived. I glanced up at Devan for a moment in between texts and saw her looking at Edward with a furrowed brow. She then looked away in disgust and scowled out the window. _'What is up with that?'_

We got to school just in the nick of time. The bell rang once and a frenzy of students flooded into the hallways to get to class on time. I watched Devan head toward her English class and I went to Biology.

I hadn't done the homework assignment and Mr Bradley scolded me in front of the other students. _'Oh well….It is only 2% of my grade,'_ I told myself as I was being chastised. It seemed to infuriate him. He shook his head and me and mumbled something about if my test marks were not so good I would fail his class. It was so true. I was genius when it came to exam time. I had infinite knowledge at my disposal if I used my visions to see the past._ 'It isn't cheating really…it is coming from my mind. I learn as I go!' _I rationalized it.

*

*

*

The last class before lunch was Math. It used to be in the afternoons, but this semester it was in the morning. I sat down with Jodie and Devan and did my best to be on task. Jodie still didn't like me very much, but she was civil for the sake of Devan. I reciprocated the favor. It bugged me that she didn't like me, though.

I felt my phone vibrate in my blazer pocket. Ms Jatana was on the other side of the room helping another student with a problem. I snuck out my iPhone and carefully read the text from Seth.

'_**Hey Silver! I was wondering if you would be up for meeting me today? Right now! I can skip out on class. How about you? Can you get out of your classes?'**_ He wrote.

'_**I have Career Day. I am supposed to meet my dad in the parking lot at noon. I am sorry. =( ' **_I texted back. _'Wait! Devan is going in to town today to the diner!'_ My mind swirled with possibilities. Then it all came to me. A brilliant plan! _'Devan owes me! She will do me the favor!'_ I decided before running my idea past my sister.

'_**Seth…I am coming. Meet me at the diner at 2pm. I have a plan! As long as I am home by 6pm it should work!'**_ I typed to him. I hit send and smiled with glee. _'I am so smart!'_

'_**Great! See you at 2! Can't wait!'**_ He sent back.

The bell rang and I jumped into action. _'I have to move fast so Alice won't catch on!'_ I took Devan by the hand and asked her to follow me. She looked confused and didn't move an inch.

"Where?"

"Please!" I begged. I was desperate. Thankfully she recognized that and agreed. Jodie gave me a dirty look.

"I will meet you outside in a few minutes, Jodie," Devan said to her. Jodie was not pleased, but she sighed and headed out the door leaving me with my sister. I jumped into action and pulled her into the hallway and into the girl's bathroom. I checked to make sure we were alone and then faced Devan. I was frantic for this to work out. I wanted to see Seth so badly. Devan seemed to know that I was up to something.

"What the hell, Silver? Go pee by yourself!" She told me.

"I don't have to pee! I need a favor! I have a great idea and I need your help!"

"No way! She exclaimed before I could tell her what my idea was.

"Please, Dev! I need you!" I pleaded. She began to soften.

"What is it?" she sighed.

"I need you to switch places with me!"

"Huh?"

"I haven't seen Seth in person in 2 weeks. If we switch places I will go with Jodie to the diner and Seth will meet me there. Alice won't be expecting that,"

"What? No way, Silver," she scoffed at me. She gave me the 'she has gone mental' face.

"Please! No one will know. Not if we are good. You be me and I will be you!" I pressured her to give in.

"Come on! We are nothing alike!" she stated. _'Not entirely true!'_

"On the inside! But we are exactly the same on the outside and no one will know if we keep up the act," I explained to her.

"You are crazy!" she told me, looking at me like I was an escaped mental patient.

"Devan…I really want this. I got grounded when you got drunk at Halloween…you owe me!" I told her hoping she would cave if I guilted her into it.

"Silver…anything else but this,"

"This is what I want. It will be just like when we were kids. We used to do this all the time and no one knew," I reminded her. We used to switch places often when we were younger. I started to take off my jeans.

"Silver! She protested. I smiled at her intensely. I knew she was beginning to cave. I enjoyed being twins and a perk of looking identical to someone was to trade places on occasion.

"Take off your cloths and switch with me. Hurry up!" I demanded of her. She did as I asked. _'Thank you Devan! Now I owe you one!'_ I thought as we quickly trading gear. I put on her jeans and t-shirt combo. Her skimmers were so comfortable. _'I can see why she likes them,'_

I took out my braids and messed up my hair and tied it in a knot and slipped on Devan's hat. Than I braided Devan's hair quickly so she looked like I had this morning.**(Check out their swapping outfits on my profile)**

"This is not going to work," she repeated a few times. I shushed her and carried on with the transformation. Once all our jewelry was swapped I handed her my Chanel purse and took her book bag. _'For pity's sake!' _I groaned as I lifted her 30-pound bag.

"Just be happy! All you have to do is be happy! Smile and don't say anything that will give it away," I instructed her.

"I still think this is stupid," she said to me. I didn't care. I had a feeling this was going to all work out in the end. "Please don't be too outgoing. If I have to be you, you'd better be normal around my friend and her mom," Devan added. _'Normal?'_ I pondered her word choice briefly.

"Oh course! The ultimate acting challenge!" I cheered. I took a deep breath and looked to the door. We were ready now. "I'd better go meet Jodie. I will see you at home tonight. We can switch back then! Oh…and try not to slip on anything. I don't do that!" I told her seriously. _'If she can keep her feet on the ground she will be a much more convincing me!'_ I thought. Devan glared back at me, her eyes small. I gave her one last smile and headed out to the parking lot to meet Jodie. _'This should be interesting!'_

*

*

*

Jodie was not as cross with me as I thought she would be. _'Well, she thinks you are Devan!'_ I reminded myself. Her mom was pleasant. She welcomed me into the car with a kind smile. I found it easy to be Devan for the most part. Devan was quiet. I simply had to think before speaking. I couldn't be perky. That would be a dead give away.

"Are you hungry?" Jodie asked me. I nodded. "Good! The chef will make us anything we'd like. Even if it is not on the menu!"

"Thank sound nice, thank you," I said politely. _'My lucky day! Free food!'_

"You two can eat first and then if you'd like to help run orders that would be very helpful," her mom told us.

"Sure thing, Mrs Smith," I answered as we pulled up to the diner. I followed Jodie in and did as she did. She didn't seem to notice I was not Devan. _'This is going to work beautifully!'_ I thought.

After eating a delicious lunch of pasta and french fries, both Jodie and I laughed at how stuffed we were. I was actually enjoying her company. And she liked me too. Her dislike of me as Silver was ridiculous!

"Hey Jodie?" I asked as I was wiping down a table with a damp cloth. She was folding cutlery into napkins.

"Ya?"

"Why is it that you don't like my sister?"

"Uh..." she uttered and gave me a strange look.

"I mean...I know she is loud and kinda of flighty, but she is not some mean girl!" I stuck up for myself.

"I know she isn't mean...but it is just the way she is always so perky! She is annoying,"

"Hey!" I retaliated a bit too harshly._ 'I hope Devan would have stuck up for me in this case too!'_ I thought.

"Sorry...You don't see it because she is your sister and you love her. She is so selfish. And she treats you terribly," she told me honestly. I was a bit stunned. She looked confused by my shock. "You know that! You tell me things all the time that bug you about her!"

"Right..." I mumbled, turning my eyes back to the table I was cleaning. _'Ouch!' _

"Look! I think she is harmless and probably doesn't know she is doing it, but she is just not my type of person. That is all," She justified. I smile and nodded. _'Am I really that terrible to Devan?' _I wondered. _'Well, ya! I am making her switch places with me for my own benefit right now....I AM selfish!'_

"I should talk to her about it. I am sure she would try harder if she knew how I felt,"

"Well, ya! That is what I have been telling you!" Jodie exclaimed like it was obvious.

"I will tell her. We should be able to tell each other everything," I said out loud. Mostly to hear myself say it. I was hurt that Devan felt that way about me and never told me to my face. I wanted Devan to be honest with me and share things with me.

"Ya. That would be nice," Jodie agreed. _'She was a good friend'_ I thought. I smiled at her even though I was hurting on the inside. I kept it hidden.

"Hey, Jodie?" I asked her one more thing. She looked up again. "Maybe sometime we could all hang out and you will get to like Silver,"

"Sure...I guess so," she said positively.

"I will tell her to tone it down," I offered._ 'I never realized that I annoyed my own sister,' _

"Devan, she is your sister. And she is who she is. You can't change that. As long as she treats you properly, that is what matters,"

"Thanks, Jodie," I told her sincerely from Devan and from me. _'What an eye opener!'_

"Ya. No big deal," she shrugged off the sentiment like it was no big deal. The table was set so we moved on to the next one.

It was nearing 2pm and I needed to execute the 2nd part of my plan. I debated telling Jodie the truth. _'It might endear her to you for being honest with her and letting her in on the plan. Or...it could backfire and she will be really mad and feel violated!' _I tossed ideas around in my mind. _'Better not tell her...just make something else up!'_

"Jodie, I hope you won't be too mad at me, but I think I am going to head home," I told her sadly.

"Why?" she asked me.

"I have a bit of a head ache and I think I should go and lie down," I lied.

"Oh, that sucks! I will tell my mom, she can drive you," she offered. I stopped her.

"No! That is okay. I don't want to be any trouble. I will get a ride with one of my siblings," I lied again.

"Are you sure?"

"Ya. The school is only a 5 minute walk from here. And they will be out of class in 15 minutes. It is perfect timing to catch them,"

"Okay..." Jodie nodded alone, "Well, thanks for coming,"

"Thanks for having me. Tell your mom, thank you for me too,"

"I will," she said as I picked up all of Devan's stuff.

"Feel better!" she called after me as I left. I waved goodbye to her with a smile smile. _'This will work. Jodie won't suspect a thing!' _Devan had headaches regularly from staring at books for such long periods of time. Jodie would not question this one bit.

*

*

*

I waited around back until I saw Seth walk up.

"Pssst!" I made a noise to catch his attention. She saw me and stopped, confused. I waved him to me.

"Hey!" he said looking me up and down. "Devan?" He asked, not so sure it was me. _'Damn, we look alike!'_ I thought before I responded to him.

"No. It is me...Silver!" I said, "It is a long story!"

"You look like Devan!"

"Ha!" I laughed and nodded simultaneously. I leaned in to him to give him a kiss. He didn't reciprocate.

"This is weird...you sure it is you?" he asked to be sure. I smacked his arm playfully. _'Ow...he has really beefed up lately! That hurt!' _I thought, rubbing my hand.

"I am sure! Don't you recognized your own girlfriend when you see her?" I asked teasingly. He beamed at the mention of 'girlfriend'. We had not officially labeled our relationship yet.

"Girlfriend?"

"If you'll be my boyfriend?...ya!" I sang. He laughed and lifted me into his arms and gave me the kiss I had wanted moments earlier.

"You are most definitely, Silver!" He said as he put me back down. "Only she would be that bold!"

"Yep!" I grinned wildly.

"So...what is with this outfit? I mean, it is nice. You look nice in whatever you wear, but it is very Devanesque!"

"Let's get out of here. I will tell you then!" I explained and took his hand to drag him away from the diner. It was a good thing he came along, because I doubt I could have pulled him if he resisted. He had filled out so much since the first time I had met him. He was nearly 15 now too and a lot taller.

"This is going to take us to La Push!" he told me as we walked down a side road heading West. I knew what I was doing.

"I know," I told him. I knew Alice couldn't see me if I was with him and she certainly couldn't see me if I was in La Push. _'I will make up a reason later why Devan was in La Push!' _It was risky, but I needed to see Seth in private.

"Silver...have a told you lately how crazy you are?" He asked. I gave him a upward glance and he explained, "Wonderfully crazy!"

"Good save!" I said, playfully bumping into him. He put his arm around me and we continued to walk towards the ocean._ 'Okay, we are officially on Quileute land. I am invisible here,'_ I shivered a little from the mist of rain hitting my face. _'Thank goodness for Devan's hat,'_ I thought. _'Or I'd really be getting wet,'_

"Are you cold?" he asked. I nodded slightly and he took off his zipper hoodie and draped it over me shoulders and put the hood over my hat.

"Are you sure? Won't you be cold?"

"Don't worry about me. I am never cold," he said. _'How very manly of him!'_ Steam was rising from his rich, dark skin. We found a nice place to sit under a tree where the rain could not reach us. He sat first, and he pulled me into his lap. Then he wrapped me in his warm, thick arms. He had some muscles showing through his t-shirt that made me giddy to look at.

"It is so nice to see you," I sighed, cuddling up into him, my face in is neck, under his chin."I have missed you,"

"I have missed you too. Now, tell me...I want to know how you managed to swing this little visit without your family knowing!?"

"It is simple, really. Devan did me a huge favor and switched places with me,"

"Simple?" he asked me, squeezing me gently.

"Well, I guess not so simple, but it worked.... So far so good. I went to the diner in place of Devan and she went to the hospital in my place,"

"That is quite the charade!" he laughed. I was glad he found it amusing.

"Hah! Ya. I know it is a bit extreme, but it was the best plan I could come up with in such short notice. Devan is being such a gem doing this for me. She hates hospitals. I sure hope she is not having too rough of a time there," I admitted. I felt really guilty all of a sudden about Devan getting the raw end of the deal. _'I love my sister so much!' _I would have to make sure to repay her for this one. It was huge, this favor!

"So...no one knows you have traded identities?"

"Nope! Just you!" I chirped. I craned my neck to kiss him. His soft lips fit into mine like missing puzzle pieces. It escalated and we made out for quite some time. It was heavenly.

"We need to figure out a plan," I mumbled into his mouth after some time had past. He had his hands in my hair and didn't stop kissing me. "We can't keep this up. The secret meetings. It is too hard on my family. I hate lying to them," I confided to him, unlocking my mouth from his. He stared at my lips like he was trying to will them back into his.

"Mmmhmmm," he hummed and kissed my upper lip, than my lower one. I sighed and kissed him back. It was too hard to resist.

"Seth...I really think we need to talk about what we are going to do about our situation," I tried again to discuss the topic with him after a few more minutes had gone by. He caressed me close and heaved gently.

"I know...but what can we do? My family still holds a grudge against yours,"

"You know why, don't you?" I asked carefully. _'Don't tell him too much, Silver!'_ I warned myself.

"It is a silly tale. The elders believe your family are related to demons or something. I remember hearing the story as a kid, but it was ridiculous!" he told me. _'Oh, so he doesn't believe it! That is good!'_ I thought. "There are so many stories they fill our heads with. A lot of them seem to have lost their meaning, but they still tell them. Like fairy-tales or something. Some about wolves and magic and other hogwash that is all made up to teach us lessons of some sort. I don't buy into any of it!"

"That is...good," I responded, not quite knowing what to say to his rant. _'If he knew my family were vampires...would he freak out? Would he leave me?'_ I wondered. I was a good thing he couldn't see my face. I was a bit worried about him finding out about my family one day. With all of his family hinting at him with these sorts of stories he might eventually catch on.

"It is silly," he stated. I snuggled closer to him.

"Well, my family doesn't want me on this land. They know how your tribe feels about them and they worry about me. They think it is dangerous for me to come here. To be near you," I told him.

"I will never let anything happen to you. Do you hear me? I will keep you safe. I will protect you! Always!" he promised me.

"Thank you," I told him, "I will never leave you. No matter what our families say or do to keep us apart,"

"I love you," he blurted out softly, but with meaning.

"I love you," I said immediately without having to think about it. _'Wow! I love him! And he loves me!'_ Then we stopped speaking and sat for hours under the shade of the tree. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. Without words we were as content as could be. I could lay in his arms forever and never ask for anything more.

*

*

*

We eventually had to get up and head back to town. It was getting close to dinnertime and I needed to get home. Seth and I walked alone the sea shore, hand in hand. The rain was falling all around us, but I couldn't feel it touch me. It was so peaceful. It was just us on the beach.

We cut into the dense forest and walked towards the main road. We were about to leave La Push when we ran into Seth's friend, Jacob.

"Hey Seth! Silver!" Jacob greeted us. A girl was standing just behind him.

"Hey!" Seth called out as we stopped to say hello.

"This is my friend, Bella, that I was telling you about. She moved here from Phoenix a few days ago," he told us. She stepped forward. She was a nice looking girl. She had big, chocolate brown eyes and was average height. Her clothing was similar to mine and her rich, brown hair was hanging loosely around her face. She reminded me of Devan in a way. Even though she looked nothing like us.

"Nice to meet you!" I extended my greeting to her. Seth smiled at her and bowed his head to her.

"Hi!" she said with a small smile and she raised one and to wave.

"She is going to being going to Forks High starting this Monday," Jacob explained.

"What grade are you?" I asked her. She was a bit shy.

"11," She responded.

"I have a sister and two brothers who are juniors this year. If you want I can ask one of them to show you around?!" I offered her. _'Alice would love to show a new kid the ropes!' _I thought to myself.

"Sure, okay," she responded.

"Or I could too. If you don't mind being seen with a freshman,"

"No, I don't mind," she replied. I smiled. _'I like her!'_ I decided on the spot. She reminded me of Devan. Something about the way she stood, like she might fall over if the wind blew to harshly, made me think of my sister. She was not very outgoing either. I could tell that she had a lot more going on in her mind that she was revealing. That was how Devan was too.

"Great! I will see you then!" I cheered. She jumped at my happy spurt, but smiled at me gratefully.

"Thanks," she mumbled softly.

"I am sorry we have to meet and run! I have a curfew to abide by and a sister to relieve of Silver duty!" I proclaimed. Seth laughed at the expressions both their faces made at my strange comment.

"It is a long story," Seth explained as we started walking again. "I will explain later, Jake!"

*

*

*

Seth and I parted before I left La Push. I had made it quite far today without being caught as Devan and I was hoping my luck hadn't run out. I kissed him one last time, gave him back his hoodie and then made myself leave. I ran swiftly, not looking back. I had to get home!

I realized I needed a ride home from Jodie's mom to close the deal. I felt bad for doing it, but I went back to the diner to find Jodie.

"Devan! What are you doing back? I thought you went home sick?" Mrs Smith said as she encountered me by the door.

"Oh, I missed my ride. So I went to the nurses station to lay down. My head ache went away and I haven't been able to reach anyone at home. I didn't want to bother my dad at work,"

"Don't you worry. I will take you home, dear," She told me kindly. That had been the plan in the first place. Devan had told Esme that Jodie's mom would be driving her home before dinner. Mrs Smith grabbed her jacket and keys and told the kitchen she was leaving for a few minutes.

"I am sorry I left earlier," I told her as we got into her car.

"It is not a problem. Jodie was sorry you had to leave. I sent her home shortly after you went back to school. I will tell her you are feeling better," she spoke gently, not at all upset with me. I smiled and nodded. He eyes were glued to the windy road that led to our house. I knew I had to be careful of what I said now. They might be able to hear me from this distance. I was not sure.

"This is very nice of you to drive me home," I told her.

"It is not problem. I am glad you are feeling better, Devan," she responded. Then we rode the rest of the way. It was slightly awkward, but I was grateful that we were not giving anything away that my family might overhear.

15 minutes later we pulled up to the end of our driveway. I got out and looked behind me before shutting the door. I thanked her for the ride and closed it. She waved and waited until I got to the front door. _'What a nice lady!'_ I thought. Then I put on my best Devan face and entered the house._ 'Just make it to Devan and switch back. You are almost in the clear!'_

"Devan, how was your day?" Esme was there at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me. She smiled a loving smile. I returned it.

"Okay," I gave her Devan's favorite answer to everything.

"I hate to be eavesdropping, but I heard Mr Smith say you you were feeling better. You are allright, dear?"

"Ya. I am fine. I had a head ache earlier, but it is gone now," I lied. I felt horrible for it.

"I am glad," she softly spoke.

"Ya," I muttered, "I am going to change. My cloths got a bit damp in the rain. I had to make a delivery to La Push for the diner," I lied again. I was setting up my alibi for when I saw Alice. She may have seen me, or Devan as she would believe, disappear from any of her visions while I was there.

"You know the rules, Devan," she scolded. I nodded, not having to pretend the guilt I had on my face.

"I didn't think you would mind. Seeing as it was with Jodie. I was just trying to be helpful,"

"I will look past it this time, Devan. Please do not do it again. We don't want you or your sister to go into La Push. It is too dangerous,"

"Okay," I agreed. She let it go and I went to meet Devan in our room. _'I can't believe it! We did it!' _I sang to myself in my mind. I felt like flying. I reached out bedroom and slipped in, shutting the door tightly behind me.

'I am back!' I signed to Devan, who was lying in my bed. 'What are you doing in my bed?' I asked her with my hands and a bewildered look on my face.

'They think I am you, remember!' her hands shot back at me. She did not look happy. 'I fainted at the hospital and Carlisle sent me home to bed,' she explained.

'You fainted?!' I shook my hands at her in disgust.

'Technically, you did,' she signed. I rolled my eyes. _'Great! Now I am a fainter!' _I thought.

'Nice going!'

'Well, it is your fault!'

'It doesn't matter. They still think you are me, right?' I asked, my hands moving almost to quickly for her to read.

'Yes,' she answered. She got out of my bed. Without hesitation of any words we both began to exchange clothing again. She was in my pajamas allready so I changed into them and she put her outfit back on. When we had completed the full transformation back to ourselves I told her about the headache to give her a heads up. I also explained that she had gone to La Push to make a delivery so she knew about that. I was thirsty so went to leave and get some water.

'Wait. I need to tell you something important,' she signed to me before I was about to head out the door.

"I will be right back. I want a glass of water," I spoke out loud as myself. _'It is good to be me again!' _I thought and I ignored her waving hands and sprinted off to the kitchen.

*

*

*

I gulped down a tall glass of water and put it in the sink. I had just finished when heard Carlisle returning home. _'Ok...just play it vague for now until you get the details from Devan,' _I told myself mentally. I had no time to miss a run in with him.

"Silver, how are you feeling?" he asked me as he entered the living room.

"Really well!" I told him with a smile.

"That is good to hear. Did you get something to eat?" he asked me next. _'Uh...?'_ I thought for a moment. I didn't know what to say. _'Yes or no! Pick one!' _I prompted myself to speak.

"Yes," I choose.

"Good," he said. "Try not to skip lunch again. You are a growing girl. You can't miss meals. It will put too much stress on your body," he explained to me. _'Oh...Devan didn't get around to eating anything. I get it!' _I bobbed my head in agreement to his request.

"I suppose you are waiting for me," he said and again I had no idea what he was talking about. He assumed I was waiting for him so I nodded my head hoping it was the right response. He smiled kindly, but he didn't seem too thrilled about it. He reached out to me so I stepped towards him. "Let's go have a seat in my office,"

I followed him in to his study and sat down across from him. The worry on his face made me nervous. I had no idea what this was about. '_What the hell did Devan do today?'_ Then Carlisle explained.

"You wanted to know the truth about the treaty we have with the Quileutes," he began. _'I did?'_ I nodded and went along with him. Devan must have been asking him questions about Seth for me. "and why it is dangerous for you to see Seth,"

"Yes," I agreed. _'Come to think of it...I would like to know more of the details,'_

"I am not sure how to say this without it sounding like a fictional story..."

"Try me!" I gave a short laugh. I knew that feeling. I was no stranger to the abnormal.

"The Quileute Tribe has a unique History. There is a kind of magic they possess. It has been with them for centuries and it is passed down from generation to generation. They are able to shift shape. The Tribal elders hold this power and when they no longer require it, it fades and only rises up again when danger is near them. If they have children who are old enough, the power is passed down to the younger generation," he explained. I was trying not to let my jaw fall. Seth had told me about the stories he had been told. About the magic.

"Go on... I am still not seeing the danger," I choked out.

"They are said to be descendants of wolves..."

"Wolves?!" I asked loudly. _'Wolves...Seth said this too. But it is a story. It is just a story,'_

"Yes. Werewolves...." Carlisle told me. He waited for my reaction. I was kind of blown away and still a bit confused. _'What?'_

"What are you saying?" I asked, not believing the words coming out of his mouth._ 'But Carlisle never lies!'_

"I am saying that Seth is Harry Clearwater's son. Harry is a tribal elder...therefore...." he said, but paused because I raised my hand.

"So...you are trying to tell me...that Seth's father...is a werewolf?!" I broke it down and spoke slowly. Carlisle nodded compassionately, with sympathy in his eyes. _'But werewolves are known enemies of vampires, and vice versa. Everyone knows that! No! This can't be true!' _

"And chances are that as long as we are living in the area the newest generation of their tribe will acquire this ability as well. Seth being one of them,"

"Hah!" I laughed hysterically. _'This is insane!'_

"Silver...I know this is a lot of information for you right now. Perhaps we should pick up this conversation another time. You have had a long day,"

"I can't believe you expect me to fall for that!" I told him stubbornly. I stood up and prepared to walk out. _'There is no way! He is just trying to scare me away from Seth!'_

"Silver, I know it is hard to take in, but it is the truth. There is a very good chance that Seth could be a werewolf like his father was and like his grandfather was,"

"You just want to scare me away from seeing Seth!" I yelled, my face was warm and my sight blurred.

"No, that is not true. I don't want to hurt you, Silver. I want to keep you safe," he remained calm, but stood up and reached a hand to me.

"Seth will keep me safe. He will protect me! He promised me!" I shouted, stepping back from his gesture. Tears were allready streaming down my face uncontrollably._ 'This can't be true! Seth couldn't be a werewolf! It is too much!'_

"Honey, sit down. Take a few deep breaths," he encouraged. I shook my head and wiped my face with the sleeve of my pajama top.

"No, I...I want to go to bed now!" I refused him. He didn't try to stop me. I couldn't seem to move my feet to leave. He look so empathetic and genuinely concerned for me that it made it hard for me to be upset with him. I was more upset because in my heart I knew what he had told me was a possibility. Denial seemed so much easier at the moment, though. _'Seth is not a werewolf!' _I told myself sternly. As I thought it another round of hot tears pours from my eyes.

"I am sorry, Silver," Carlisle expressed his sympathy to me. This time I didn't move away. I began to sob more profusely as he grabbed a hold of me. I didn't want to be angry with Carlisle. He was telling the truth. Deep down I knew that. So I remained in his arms as he tried to calm me down.

I am not sure when the tears stopped, but Esme took over and put me to bed. We didn't say a word to each other. There was nothing to say. Devan looked at me with a fearful, unknowing eyes. She knew not to ask. I would tell all about it in the morning.

_'Seth might be a werewolf,'_ I ran this idea through my head over and over all night long. _'He and my family will never get along. They could kill each other,'_ I held onto my moon shaped pendant that he had given me. I rolled onto my side and gazed out into the moonlight forest outside. _'It is not even for sure. Seth doesn't even know it! He doesn't believe the stories,'_ I bit my lip and stroked the crescent moon charm with my finger. _'I know one thing for certain...I am not going to lose him. No matter what he is...I love him!'_ And with that final reality I closed my eyes and let this day come to an end.

**

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Review this Chapter please!**


	24. Where Are The Flying Monkeys?

Chapter 24 – Where Are The Flying Monkeys?

Devan's POV:

I woke up as the light from outside crept in through the large windows in our bedroom. I squinted my eyes and covered my face until my eyes adjusted to the brightness. I sat up and saw that I wasn't alone. Silver was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, with her knees hugged tightly to her chest. She stared out the window thoughtfully.

I looked over to my alarm clock and was stunned that it was 11am already. Silver had let me sleep in. Usually, on a Sunday I would be impressed by this gesture, but seeing as it was unlike Silver to wake me anytime after 9am I was a tiny bit worried about her. Last night she had come to bed in tears. Whatever Carlisle told her about Seth must have been really upsetting.

She didn't move one inch as I got up and slumped myself down beside her. It was like she was frozen. Her face was set like stone and she was chalky white with the light hitting her face. _'Like she was one of our other family members,'_ the thought came to me. I got a shiver just thinking about my sister as a vampire. Silver and I had never discussed the topic, but it was something that I was sure we had both thought about in the back of our minds from time to time.

"Silver?" I said her name softly. She remained her position. I waited. I didn't want to rush her. Then, moments later her face moved and she looked down. "You okay?" I asked.

"I am not sure yet," she answered, her voice cracking so it barely came out as anything audible. I searched my head for words. Comforting words to console her, but I didn't have any. I didn't know what had happened yet. I put my hand on her knee and waited until she looked over at me. I licked my lips and cautiously asked her if she would share with me.

'Tell me…please' I signed. She sighed heavily and she thought heavily for a while. Her hands moved up to say something, but she dropped them. I waited, not wanting to rush her into anything. She tried again, but again she couldn't seem to pick the right signs and she gave up.

'Is it bad?' I questioned her. She shut her eyes and dropped her head. Then she raised it again and sort of gave a shrug.

'How bad?'

"If it is true…it could be kind of bad," she mumbled out loud, the sounds coming from her mouth had no melody.

"Carlisle wouldn't lie," I offered her what I believed to be the truth. She sighed again. She knew that.

"I know…"

'You don't have to tell me…if you don't want to,' I suggested going back to out private conversation. She turned to me and gave me a pathetic smile. She raised her hands to say something and this time was successful.

'I want to tell you. No secrets between us. Okay?' It was more of a plea than anything. As if she was telling me not to keep secrets from her. I got a bit antsy in my seat for a moment. I still hadn't told her about Edward. _'I can't. I am taking care of it!' _I rationalized. I nodded at Silver to agree, but felt a lump rise in my throat as I lied to my sister.

A strange thing happened. Silver laughed. She laughed again and I gazed at her with concern for her sanity. Silver quieted herself down and looked right at me. _'What the heck is wrong with her?'_ I wondered.

"What are you laughing at?" I asked her. _'Has she finally cracked?'_

"There is a good possibility that Seth is a werewolf," Silver said in a neutral tone, but I could tell she was trying not to giggle. _'Did she say werewolf?'_ I had not seen that one coming. She had said it so calmly it took me a moment to really grasp what she had just revealed. We both were quiet or a second or two. Then she cracked up again and laughed at her own words. I was now the one frozen. _'Silver has either gone mad or we live in a very strange town!' _

"Uh…." I was able to utter, no other words followed. _'Is she serious?'_

"I know!" she shrieked hysterically, but it was like saying out loud freed her. She was never the kind of person to stew over her problems. _'Like me,'_ I thought disdainfully wishing I could be more like Silver in that sense. Silver was smiling very softly now as she thought.

"Okay…I am not quite sure what to say now. But…um…what are you going to do?" I asked in broken speech, talking slow.

"What is there to do?" she asked me and got herself up.

"Um…I don't know…" I couldn't think advice to give. _'This is too weird! Even for two girls who live with vampires!' _

"Exactly! There is no precedence set for what to do when you find out your boyfriend is a werewolf!" she twittered and went to her dresser to pull out some clothing. She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"So…you are going to do nothing?"

"Yep!"

"Silver!" I said bluntly, but not with any raised volume.

"Don't worry, Dev! I will take care of it!"

"But…"

"Don't stress out about it!"

"You just…"

"Dev…" Silver turned and faced me, as she was about to leave our room. "Sometimes you have to go with the flow!"

"Go. With. The. FLOW?!" I separate each word and annunciated each one clearly, my eyes huge and glaring at her. She smiled happily in true Silver form and her head moved up and down very quickly.

"Oh! And Seth has no clue about any of this…bless his heart," she said sweetly, "So please don't tell anyone! Not that they'd believe you if you did….but you know how it is!" She chirped and bounced out the door. I just sat there on the floor as the word 'werewolf' floated around in my head.

*

*

*

I got up and wandered into the kitchen to get a glass of juice. The whole family, minus Edward was present. _'Thank goodness'_ I thought for my hair was one big tangle and I was wearing an over-sized t-shirt as pajamas. _'Why do I care how I look to Edward?'_ I reprimanded myself for being vain. _'But I do care what he thinks of me!'_

They all stood around in the living room and watched me walk in. They had heard most of what Silver and I had said so I didn't feel the need to explain. I stopped and wanted to say something, but there was really nothing to say. I threw my hands up in the air and huffed some kind of bewildered sound. I think they understood.

No one said anything. There was nothing to say to make it go away. Esme kindly insisted on making breakfast for us. I tried to offer assistance, but she turned me down. I was an accident waiting to happen so I was escorted out of the 'room of pointy objects and burning elements' as Emmet called it for my benefit. A lot of my previous, minor injuries in the last several years had happened in our kitchen.

"I will be fine," I waved the concern. Emmet jokingly tossed me over his shoulder as he carried my away and placed me at the bar on a stool.

"That should do it! Keep your hands inside this island at all times!" he said like the operators announce on amusement park rides. "We are not accountable for injury or loss of limb if you choose not to obey the rules of this kitchen!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it!" I laughed and remained seated. Esme passed me a glass of orange juice, amused by Emmet's gentle teasing.

"Thanks," I told her. I took a few big gulps and set the glass down. Emmet was standing on the side of the island with his face in his palms, his elbows on the marble counter top, slouched over it. He smiled widely.

"So…Seth's a werewolf!" he bluntly said what was on all our minds. Esme's eyes seemed to bug out of her head at his boldness.

"That's what I hear," I matter-of-factly quipped back, surprised at myself. It lightened the mood a smidge. Emmet laughed and stood up again.

"It came as quite a shock to you, I am sure, dear," Esme said as she cracked an egg into a mixing bowl.

"Well, ya!" I stated the obvious. "All we need now is a witch and some flying monkeys and we will have the makings for one hell of a horror-fiction flick!"

I didn't mean for it to come out so snarky. I was the only one not laughing. Even Carlisle softly chuckled at my statement. I finally cracked a tiny smirk and shook my head. Then the laugher turned to dead silence. I turned to see what the hold up was.

"What is so funny?" Silver chanted as she pranced into the kitchen. She was smiling eagerly for a response, not at all stunted from last night's undertakings. We all looked to one another to see who was going to break it to her.

"That's okay!" she sang, hoping up on the stool next to me, "I get it!"

"Silver?" Alice asked cautiously, "How are you?"

"Oh, I am good!" she said convincingly.

"You are?"

"Sure! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because you just found out that…you know…"

"Seth may be a werewolf!" Silver stated strongly, finishing Alice's sentence.

"Well, ya!"

"It is not a problem!"

Emmet laughed and the rest of us stared at Silver incredulously.

"But, you surely see the danger, don't you?" Jasper broke out from his usual silence.

"I doubt it, she is missing that part of her brain!" Rosalie snapped. Emmet put his hand on her shoulder to tame her.

"I get it. Vampires and Werewolves don't mix. I am a human though," Silver explained herself, taking a glass from Esme and putting it in front of her.

"We more than 'don't mix', Silver. They are our enemies," Jasper calmly said. Alice was tightly snuggled under his hooked arm, looking at Silver thoughtfully.

"It doesn't have to be that way. There is no reason for any unpleasantness," Silver offered. The way she spoke you'd think we were discussing puppies and kittens.

"Silver is right. We don't have any reason to fight with them," Carlisle peacefully added his opinion. He was very passive. He didn't like any sort of violence.

"They don't believe that! They think we are demons. They are designed to rid the world of our kind," Rosalie snarled.

"Seth is a good person," Silver clarified, "He wouldn't do anything that would hurt me,"

"Silver, I beg you to see reason," Jasper asked of her.

"I am being reasonable,"

"Hardly!" Rosalie snorted, slightly annoyed by Silver nonchalant attitude.

"All we ask is that you be safe," Carlisle took over to calm the situation. Silver nodded in agreement.

"I will be. Seth really doesn't believe in this stuff anyway. Maybe he isn't going to become one," said Silver positively after swallowing a sip of juice.

"Regardless, Silver, you have to stay off Quileute land. That is none negotiable," Esme lectured sternly. Silver wasn't quick to agree, I knew she had been in La Push with Seth yesterday and was feeling guilty. She managed a nod. "Same goes for you, Devan. I worry about you two. And it is too dangerous for you to be out of Alice's vision,"

"I still think you should ban her from seeing him!" Rosalie piped up.

"No!" Silver shot at her, her mood dampened, "I won't stop seeing him. You'd have to kill me to keep us apart!"

"That can be arranged!" Rosalie lost her temper and she raised her voice to Silver. Emmet held onto her arm as she stepped a bit closer to us, her face full of threat.

"Enough!" Esme cried. The thought of losing a child too much for her to bear. Carlisle stepped up between Rosalie and Silver who were in a snarled staring war.

"Rosalie, back off," he said calmly. She closed her eyes and took an unnecessary breath and Emmet pulled her into him in a supportive hug, but he looked more onside with Silver at the moment.

"I don't want to hear either of you talk like that to each other again, do you hear me?" Esme chocked. She was visibly upset. "We are a family,"

"Esme is right," Carlisle said putting his arm around his wife and rubbing her arm softly.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Alice piped up, diverting the topic into another direction. "Yes…I think a walk would be nice," Carlisle sighed lightly, looking to Esme to see if she was allright.

"As soon as the girls have had something to eat," she said as pleasantly as she could muster.

"Sounds good to me!" Silver sang, back to her cheerful, carefree self. Rosalie stormed out in a whoosh of speed. Emmet shrugged and followed after her. Esme placed several hot pancakes on each of our plates.

"Ooo…I love your blackberry syrup!" Silver thrilled over Esme's homemade syrup, pouring her plate so full it nearly overflowed. I wasn't the only one watching her. Alice giggled. Jasper gave in and a grin came to his face. He could obviously feel the weight lifting from the room and Silver's happy nature coming over him. I looked at her in disgust for a moment. _'How does she do it? It is not normal!'_

"Waaa?" she asked with a truckload of pancake shoved into her mouth. She looked like a chipmunk storing nuts for the winter.

"I swear you have brain damage!" I said straightly. She smiled back at me, not bothered at all. I heard Alice giggle again. "Too much serotonin floating around in there or something! It is freaky!"

"May-be!" Silver actually agreed with me. Jokingly, of course.

"You are not normal!" I sighed and took a bite of pancake.

"Perhaps it's hereditary!" Jasper piped up, looking at Alice with a mischievous glint in his eye. Alice smacked Jasper playfully. I nearly spit out my mouthful of food in laughter. I coughed a bit, chocking mildly on a few pieced of food that were lodged in the back of my throat. Silver laughed and patted on my back.

"It must be recessive, though, because Grandmother and Mom were perfectly sane!" I clarified with a sly grin.

"Whatever you say, clumsy!" Silver retorted. I took a sip of juice and continued laughing. Then we went on with the rest of the day with new knowledge of Seth that we all agreed to repress for the time being….just like Silver was planning on doing!

*

*

*

It wasn't raining out so the walk was very enjoyable. Carlisle and Esme stayed home. Esme said she wanted to clean and Carlisle said he was going to do some reading. We all knew what they were really doing, though. It was rare for Carlisle to have a Sunday off and the rest of us out of the house. It was 'alone' time for Mr and Mrs!

Rosalie didn't come with us either. She shut herself up in the garage to pout and work on her M3 convertible. Emmet came along though. He was bouncing from tree to tree beside us on the trail. Jasper and Edward walked ahead of us, bored by going so slowly. Alice skipped from them and back to Silver and me from time to time.

Silver all of a sudden dodged of the trail into the woods.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.

"Give me a boost, Em!" she said and Emmet gleefully obliged and hoisted her up into the tree she leaned against with her palms on the thick bark trunk.

"Silver!" I exclaimed.

"Relax. I know what I doing," she said as she wound up the tree, grabbing branch by branch as she pulled herself up, getting further and further from the ground. I looked to Alice for support.

"We won't let her fall, Devan. Don't worry," Alice said and she followed Silver up the tree, jumping up into the tree with ease. Jasper laughed at my gaping mouth.

"Come up, Dev! It is fun!" Silver called to me from way up in a tree.

"Ya…right!" I scoffed.

"I will be right behind you," Edward told me, I jumped not realizing he was standing right next to me. I knew I shouldn't. I normally would never do anything like this, but Edward was there and all of a sudden I wanted to climb the tree. Without thinking, for once, I just went for it. I walked up to the tree and turned to Edward for a boost.

"Yeah Devan!" Silver cheered, thrilled I was joining in. With no effort on his part at all Edward had lifted me high enough to take hold of the lower branches and pull myself up.

"You got it?" he asked.

"Yep!"

"Letting go now," he warned. I nodded and got a good footing on another branch as his hands let me go.

I continued up the tree at a much slower pace than anyone else. It had been so long since I had climbed a tree. I think the last time was back in Australia as a little kid. I had fallen out and broke my arm, which had put a stop to my tree climbing days. Silver was always in a tree though. Even in London she would sneak out and climb trees on occasion. It really was a special kind of experience. Nature's playground. I was enjoying myself.

"Fun, hey?" Silver asked me from across the way in the tree she was in.

"Ya," I grunted as I slowly climbed upward, shaking a bit from fear of the height. All of a sudden a blur fly by me from tree to tree. I shut my eyes and clung to the tree. I panted a bit. I was not really used to this sort of physical activity. It was pathetic, really. I reopened my eyes and Emmet was laughing.

"You big ape!" Alice made fun of him.

"Emmet! Catch me, okay?" Silver called as she braced her self to jump toward the tree Emmet was in a few feet away from her.

"Silver NO!" I yelled as she leaped into the air. I watched in horror as Emmet took hold of her and she gracefully took a place in the new tree. It was like a well choreographed dance.

"Relax Dev!" she told me. I sighed and began to breathe again.

"Don't worry, I have got your back!" Edward told me from a few feet away with a cheeky smirk on his lips. _'Oh swoon!' _I thought, making me smile.

"Ya Devan, Edward's got a great view of your backside!" Emmet boomed out in laughter. My face went beet red as Silver chuckled along. I reached to the branch beside me to get a better hold, but in my fluster of embarrassment I didn't watch my foot and it slipped on the moss-covered bark.

"Nooo!" was all I heard and then it was too late. I was falling!

*

*

*

It all happened so fast I am not quite sure of how far I fell. I hit a few branches on the way down before a cold, hard hand grabbed hold of my arm and jolted me to a stop and pulled me to safety.

"Ow," I gasped in pain as I opened my eyes and realized Edward had me in his arms now. My arm was throbbing from where his hand had caught hold of me. He jumped down and we landed with ease. Everyone came rushing over. Emmet brought Silver down from the tree on his back.

"Dev! Are you okay?" she asked as she slid off his back and ran up to me. Edward cradled my in his arms. I was still so stunned from the fall that if was hard to squeeze the words out.

"I think so…" I mumbled.

"Where does it hurt?" Edward asked, his voice filled with worry and guilt. I looked up at him and breathed heavily. Nothing hurt at the moment. _'Not when I am in your arms,' I_ thought. I nearly blushed again, but Jasper spoke and distracted me.

"I better step back from this. I will meet you at home once Carlisle has taken care of her," he said with pain and restraint. I looked to him and found him struggling to stay away. His face was tense with discipline and his hands were tight fists as he backed away, his eyes fixated on me.

"I will go with you Jasper," Emmet offered, stepping closer to him protectively eying me. _'What is going on?'_

"Good idea! We will take her back to Carlisle," Alice said. _'Am I bleeding?'_ I wondered. I didn't have to ask. Alice and Edward were both holding their breath.

"Is there blood?" I asked them out loud.

"You have a tiny scratch on your cheek," Silver kindly informed me. I instinctively reached up to my face. Sure enough, my I felt something sticky and when I retracted my hand there was a smudge of red on my finger tips. _'Great!'_ I thought sarcastically.

"I think I am okay, though," I reasoned with them. Edward was already carrying me swiftly along the trail back to the house. Silver jogged to keep up. Alice ran ahead to tell Carlisle. I was mortified for making yet another scene.

"I was not careful enough. I should have been paying closer attention," Edward punished himself, his face was stern and focused ahead. He would have run with me, but he knew the last time Emmet took me for a vampire sprint I, not so delicately, threw up afterwards.

"It was my fault," I took the blame_. 'If I weren't such a walking accident this would never of happened. What was I thinking? Climbing a tree! That was stupid!'_

"No, Devan. I wasn't paying attention. I knew Alice was having a vision, but I wasn't watching it. I should have seen this coming!" He continued to take fault. _'Wait! What was so distracting that he didn't see Alice's vision? He was right there, watching me the whole time. I think…'_ My heart fluttered as I tried to make sense of my thoughts. He saw my confused expression as I pondered these ideas and misread them as pain. Our eyes met and he studied me carefully.

"I am okay, Edward,"

"No, you're not!"

I can walk, you know," I said, wiggling to get out of his arms. It was a no go.

"You are in shock!" he said with a short erratic laugh at my comment. We were nearly at the house.

"I am not!" I stubbornly corrected him. I still held my arm were his strong hand had wrapped around it to catch me. It stung a bit, like rug burn. I struggled to break free again, but he was too strong and determined I was worse off than I was letting on.

"Devan, just relax. Your heart is racing," he suggested. I huffed and sank back into his arms.

"Ya…cause' I am annoyed you won't put me down!" I told him forcefully. He didn't seem to care about my protests. Carlisle and Esme were waiting for us at the door. _'Oh great! I ruined their afternoon playdate!'_ I thought and then shuddered as I tried not to imagine my adoptive parents getting it on. Edward misinterpreted this as a shiver.

"She is in shock. She fell pretty hard. I may have done some damage to her arm where I caught her," he rushed all his words together as we were greeted. Alice was already inside waiting. Rosalie was nowhere to be seen. Silver jogged in after us and shut the door, not at all out of breath from running the whole way home. _'I need to start working out. That is impressive,'_ I thought quickly before I started to plead my case again.

"I am fine, I swear. You are overreacting, Edward!"

I was like I was speaking to the walls. Edward took me to the living room and gently placed me on the sofa. Esme stayed back because I had a few scrapes excreting blood where I had bumped my skin the rough branches. Carlisle was already at work, his cool finger at my wrist.

"Did she loose consciousness?"

"No," Edward said softly, his hand over his mouth and his other in his hair as he stood there watching Carlisle. He was still blaming himself.

"How far did she fall?"

"10 feet, maybe more. I am not sure," Edward mumbled, shaking his head.

"I am right here you know!" I protested as Carlisle was looking at my head carefully, turned it very gently from side to side. I tried to brush him off me. I was feeling claustrophobic. He smiled at me and finally acknowledged that I was in the room.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I feel fine, really, I …ow!" I said, as I bumped my arm. It was already bruising. I could see the outline of fingers wrapped around it where Edward's hand had been.

"You are clearly not fine, now be still," Edward told me like I was a little child. _'Grrr…how irritating!'_ I angered inside. Carlisle took my hand to exam my wrist.

"It isn't broken," I said calmly. I knew what that felt like and this was not as bad.

"How do you know that? Do you have a medical degree hidden somewhere that we don't know about?" Edward snarled at me quite nastily.

"Whoa, take a pill!" I snapped back. I glared at him, hurt by his snarky comment. My heart beat angrily into my rib cage.

"Allright you two, that is enough," Carlisle demanded, "Edward, you can leave now. I have got this under control,"

"Fine," he said softly, his jaw tight. Then he left. I winced as Carlisle gently squeezed my wrist.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, rotating my hand around a few times in each direction.

"It is just a bit bruised,"

"Move your fingers for me," he instructed. I did so with ease. "I agree with your diagnosis. It doesn't appear to be broken," He smiled kindly and continued to speak, "I will wrap it for you and I want you to ice it every couple hours for 15 minutes. We will keep an eye on it for a few days to make sure the swelling comes down. It there is a fracture in there, it is small and will heal on it's own if you take it easy,"

I nodded and let him wrap my wrist. Once he was assured that nothing else was wrong with me besides a bunch of fresh scraped and bruises he cleaned them and bandaged them for me.

"Thank you," I told him when he released me from his sight.

*

*

*

"Hey!" Silver greeted me as I met up with her in our room. She was chatting with Seth online.

"Hey," I mumbled back. I sat down and winced. _'Definitely not going to climb tree again anytime soon,'_

"So, you okay?" she asked, swiveling her chair around so she could face me. I nodded. She didn't accept my answer. She smiled her 'I know something' smile and waited for me to ask her what she knew.

"Okay…what is it?" I gave in, not wanting to play games.

'I think I figured out what has been up with you lately!' she signed to me, leaning back in her chair with confidence.

'What?' I motioned back to her. My arm sore, but I could still sign if I was careful how I moved it.

'I know why you have been avoiding Edward!'

'I am not…'

'You are. I did some snooping starting months back and you were definitely avoiding him,'

"So?" I accused out loud, slapping my hand over my mouth the moment I had spoken.

'See! You have a secret!'

'No,' I shook my head, but I was not convincing. _'Oh crap! This is horrible!'_

'You have been acting all weird around him for ages. I knew you looked up to him. That's a given….but it wasn't until today that I figured it all out!' her hands flew at me wildly, her face eager to reveal what she had uncovered. 'When Emmet made that comment about your butt, you got all flustered. And fell!'

'Silver…It is not what you think!' I tried to sign, but she was already too close to the truth and my face didn't hold back truth very well. Especially with Silver.

'You like him!' she signed. My chest clogged. I felt like hiding under my bed. I looked away. _'The cat is out…just tell her and be done with it!'_ I encouraged myself.

'I had a vision…' I began. She listened intently, moving closer to me, bum still firmly planted on her rolling chair. 'I was at the piano and he was there. It was just the two of us….' I sighed and went on. 'When I finished playing….I kissed him,'

'Kiss!' she signed, her face was overjoyed. _'Okay, so she is on board!'_ I thought.

'Alice saw it too,'

'Then it is bound to come true! Alice is far more reliable than you!'

"Gee, thanks!" I said, again annoyed that I was speaking out.

'So…you like him?' she asked me excitedly.

'I don't know,' I lied. _'I do so!'_ I chastised myself for not being honest about my feelings.

'You do!' she beamed and leaped up and hugged me.

"Ow!" I shrieked in pain. I was one big bruise, pretty much.

"Oh, sorry!" she moved back, looked at me with a toothy 'oops' face and wide eyes.

"Devan?" a voice called from the hallway. It was Edward. "Are you allright?"

'White Knight!!' Silver joked. I smacked away her signing hands with my good arm.

"I am fine. Silver is a moron, that's all!" I called to the closed door.

"Nothing new there!" he joked. Silver gawked in fake insult. If anyone could take a joke it was Silver. Nothing seemed to penetrate her bubbly spirit and bring her down. Not for long, anyway.

"Yep!" I teased back. I heard him chuckle and walk away_. 'I guess he has forgiven me for yelling at him downstairs. Take a pill? Real mature, Devan!'_ I remembered our break out earlier.

"You are a doorknob!" Silver told me and stuck her tongue out at me briefly. 'So, what are you going to do?' she reverted back to our private conversation.

'I am going to not kiss him,'

'What?'

'I can't. He is a brother,'

'He isn't really,'

'He is older,' I tried another excuse.

'Good one, captain obvious! That doesn't matter. It is a number!'

'Well, how about this one….he is a vampire!' I sighed to her sternly. She had no retort.

'You can't help who you fall in love with,' was the last thing she signed, sitting down at the computer again. She smiled and typed something to Seth. _'Oh dear,'_ I sighed. Now both Alice and Silver knew about my crush on Edward and besides, Emmet they were the biggest loud mouths of the bunch!

*

*

*

It was Monday morning and I was all grumped up again from lack of sleep and general school blues. Plus, I was stiff from the fall still. Silver skipped alone beside me as we headed to the front doors of Forks High.

"I can keep a secret!" She sang in my ear. "I know you were up all night, but you needn't be worried. I won't tell a soul!"

"Good…cause' I know a secret too!" I retaliated tauntingly.

"Yup! We are even!" she chirped, knowing I was talking about Seth. "Oooo…gotta run. There's Bella!"

"Who's Bella?" I asked as she pointed to a huge, red pick up that was parking in the lot. It backfired a loud 'BANG!' as it halted.

"She is a friend of Jacob's. I offered to show her around. Its her first day!"

"Oh," I uttered.

"Ya…You can join us if you want. I think you might like her. She reminds me of you a bit,"

"How so?" I asked. She had never mentioned this girl before. _'How could she remind Silver of me?'_

"She is kind of quiet. Has a lot going on behind her eyes. She is a bit of a waif on her feet…"

"What?"

"After I met her I did some lurking and you are not the only one accidents plan their days around!" she informed me. I smiled at her sarcastically for the insult she had planted on me.

"I have to meet Jodie before class. You have fun!" I told Silver.

"Okay. See ya later!" she called as she ran towards Bella. I took a moment to study the girl.

She was pretty. Not obvious pretty, but something about her was pleasant to look at. Her dark, brown hair was mostly straight, but her coat collar ruffled it, so it was a bit messy in the back. She was almost as fair as our family, but far less graceful. She tripped over one of her pant legs as she walked up to Silver. She didn't fall; it was just a minor glitch.

I wasn't sure what it was about this new girl that bothered me so much. _'I don't even know her'_ I tried to reason with my unreasonable feelings of contempt. I just had this overwhelming feeling of resentment. Maybe because she was so much like me, like Silver seemed to think. _'No…that is just silly, Devan!'_ I told myself. It wasn't until glanced over at my siblings still standing outside of Emmet's jeep that I had a true reason for not liking Bella. Edward couldn't seem to turn his eyes away from her….

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**Please Review!**


	25. New Girl

Chapter 25 – New Girl

Silver's POV:

"So…that is pretty much it!" I said plainly, ending my tour of Forks High. Bella was not really into the whole bit, I could tell. So, I made each stop short and brought her back to her locker as fast I could. _'She's a Devan!' _I decided,_ ' Smart, but she doesn't like the school atmosphere,'_

"Great, thanks," Bella mumbled with an awkward smile. Kids hustled on by us to get to their classes.

"I know…there is not much to see. A bit on the dull side, really, but you'll get used to it," I offered some console for the state of our school buildings. Forks is not exactly the most fantastic place to live. I could tell that Bella was just noticing for herself. _'Fresh Hell...as Devan likes to refer to it!' _I remembered, hearing my sister's voice in my mind.

Bella shuffled a bit on her feet, anxious to get to her class I figured.

"I can take you to your first class if you'd like,"

"No, it's fine. I remember where it was. I can manage," she told me. She bit at her lip while waiting for me to finalize our formal goodbye. I obliged and took her out of her misery.

"Well, I'd better get going then. I will see you around!"

"Ya,"

"If you need anything…"

"Okay," she answered before I had time to finish. I smiled at her. _'I like her. She is not like the other girls,' _I thought, thinking about how much Courtney, Tanna, and Rachel had been getting on my nerves lately. Even I needed a break every now and then from gossip.

I waved to Bella and we parted our separate ways. I was almost out of sight when something made me turn.

"Isabella!" I heard Mike Newton's obnoxious voice say her name and I turned to see him introducing himself before I went around the corner. _'Figures!' _I thought. _'He would want to be first to get his hands on her,' _Boys have a one-track mind. Girls!

'_Sigh….Seth!'_ I thought. _'I am no better I guess,' _

I saw Devan on the other side of the hall with Jodie. I quickly stopped to ponder how she was doing today. Edward was so hard to read. I bet she wished he'd be more like the other boys and just ask her out._ 'Or not…Devan probably likes that Edward isn't an obvious player,' _I changed my mind.

She looked at me and waved. I waved back so hard my hand was a blur and beamed my teeth her way exuberantly. She gave me a look and turned away. _'Good. I still have the power to embarrass my sister!' _I laughed to myself and entered my classroom.

I had no desire to follow instruction today. I was not feeling very focused. _'What else is new?' _I couldn't help shake the feeling that something was going down and I was missing it. The pit of my stomach told me that.

Lunch finally arrived and I found Bella being swarmed by Jessica Stanley and the rest of the 'it' crowd for the junior class. Angela Weber was quietly waiting her turn to talk to her. She was the only one in the group that didn't rub me the wrong way. Mike, Eric Yorkie, and Tyler Crowley were all acting like animals hunting for a mate. _'Geez…puff out your chest, why don't you, and close the deal!'_ I thought, stunned at how brazen they all were.

Poor Bella looked like she needed an escape. I skipped over and squeezed my way in beside Jessica.

"Hey Bella!" I announced my presence loudly. Jessica frowned down upon me. I returned her foul expression with a friendly grin. _'Kill with kindness!'_ I remembered my mother used to tell me. It really worked. The aggravation it caused people was reason enough for me to use it as a weapon.

"Hi," Bella muttered carefully, still uncomfortable by the number of eyes upon her.

"I am just going to steal Bella away for a bit," I said, taking Bella by the arm and pulling her towards me, "Thank you!" I sang the last part as they all tried to protest, but Bella came willingly so there wasn't time for them to process my theft in time to stop me.

"You can thank me later," I whispered as we headed out of the swarmed crowd of leeches. And Jessica Stanley was just that. She dug her claws desperately into anything that would bring her attention or raise her popularity meter. _'And Bella was the Belle of the Ball today!'_ I sang in my head, then blushed slightly as I did it. _'How corny...even for me! Thank goodness I didn't say that one out loud!' _

"Thanks," Bella whispered back. I stopped by the food carts and picked up an apple.

"Would you like one?" I offered, putting it in her hand. She looked at it wondering if she really did or not.

"Thanks," she said again.

"You're welcome!" I beamed. "Oh…there's Devan! I want to introduce you!"

"Uh…" she mumbled.

"Don't worry. She's tame!" I explained. I waved Devan over to us.

"Dev, this is Bella. Bella this is my sister, Devan!"

"Wow…you two look so much…"

"Like twins?" I interrupted with a pleased grin, "Yup!"

"Nice to meet you," Devan said politely. Bella nodded back, trying to smile genuinely. The same expression was plastered on Devan's face. It was the awkward introduction face that my sister made when meeting new people.

"Well, I won't keep you. I think we are pretty awesome, but some would look down on you for hanging around a couple of freshman," I told her honestly.

"Oh! Uh..." Bella was trying to be polite, but didn't know what to say.

"Yes, Silver is always like this!" Devan explained for Bella's purpose. I agreed willingly, my head twitching up and down so fast it almost didn't happen.

"It is true!" I chanted proudly. _'Loud and proud!'_

Bella laughed quietly, but something had caught her attention behind us. "Who are they?" she asked.

Both Devan and I swiveled around in the direction Bella was looking. It was the table of our siblings. Bella's face twisted with temptation. Our family did that to people. Drew them in, but not enough to make them less daunting. Devan let me speak. She got muddled whenever anyone asked her about our family. She was never good at lying. Even by omission.

"Those are our brother's and sister's!" I boasted merrily.

"Wow! You have a large family," she said, but you could tell she was wondering how we were all related.

"We are all adopted," I explained. I was sure someone would eventually tell her about Carlisle and Esme and how youthful they both are. There was no way we could all be their biological children.

"Oh," she said softly, trying not to be noisy, but I didn't mind telling her about us. It was better that I do it than another student who would gossip and make it more of a big deal than I thought it was.

"Rosalie and Jasper are twins. They are the blonde ones. Rosalie skipped grade one so she is a senior with Emmet," I told her, "She and he are together," I added. Bella's face showed a touch of confusion. I didn't go into detail.

"Alice is our older sister. She is with Jasper! They are juniors this year too" I tried to make it sound normal. Bella was still looking over to the table. Rosalie and Emmet affectionately canoodled around with each other. Jasper sat with Alice in his arms lovingly. And Edward just sat there in all his melancholy glory.

"Who is your other brother?" Bella asked. Devan glanced over to Edward and then at the floor sadly. _'Poor Dev!'_

"That's Edward. He is a junior this year too," I told her calmly and as vaguely as I could for Devan's sake. She didn't need it rubbed in her face that Bella was obviously noticing how gorgeous and single he was. Edward was looking our way now, painfully I might add. I assumed it was because he didn't want me to give any more info away to the new girl. So I shut up and let the conversation dissipate.

*

*

*

I had history after lunch with Devan. She was writing vigorously as Mr Rushlow posted notes on the overhead. I was bored to tears. I had already witnessed WWII through my visions and was not enthusiastic to dwell on it anymore that I had to. I had nightmares from studying for the previous exam. I hated war. Of course, I couldn't explain my reasons for not copying the notes, so I just jot down one or two to make it look like I was paying attention.

"Dev!" I whispered lightly in her ear. She tucked her head in and away. So I tried again, "Dev!"

"What?!" she whispered back harshly.

"So, what do you think of Bella?"

"I don't know. Who cares?" she stated. She was annoyed with me for talking in class. _'I will make it short,' _I decided.

"Did you see her face when she saw the Cullen Crew?" I asked with a laugh. I could still see Bella's face when I told her that Alice and Jasper were a couple and so were Rosalie and Emmet. I had to admit. It was a bit odd if you didn't understand the context of our unique family.

"Ya. It was hilarious," Devan mumbled back, not really listening to me.

"Jessica Stanley hates me now. You should have seen-"

"Silver! Shut up!" Devan spit angrily at me. She shook her head turned it back to the front of the class.

"Fine! I will shut up, but I am warning you….I have seen this war and it is not pretty!" I cautioned her.

"Whatever!" she snarked at me and went back to her note taking. Mr Rushlow was glaring at my from above his glasses frames. I bite my lip and put my head down. _'Oops,'_

I remained unfocused and fidgety. Sometimes I needed to move around so I decided to go for a walk.

I raised my hand.

Nothing happened.

I waved it about like a flag above my head.

Still, no one noticed me. So I got up, the legs of the chair screeching as did so, and walked up to Mr Rushlow's desk. He took his sweet time acknowledging me.

"Mr Rushlow…May I please have the hall pass?" I asked sweetly. He lifted his head to meet my eyes.

"I suppose so, Miss Cullen," he reluctantly handed me the wooden block he had with the words 'hall pass' burnt into it. I snatched it up eagerly with a thanking grin and took off.

The hallways were usually pretty quiet. Today was no exception. It was like a Western film where the town was all cleared out for a gunfight and a tumbleweed bounced on by. There was a draft and a granola bar wrapper was skittering across my path as I neared the end of the hall. I turned to go right, but I came to a sudden halt as I slammed into something solid.

"Owww…" I mumbled. I had landed on the ground on my bum somehow. A hand lifted me up with perfect ease.

Edward! _'What is he up to?'_ I wondered. Edward was supposed to be in Biology class right now.

He seemed different.

He was slightly erratic and out of control.

His eyes were black as coal.

"I am sorry, Silver," he uttered, insincerely as he briefly looked me over to make sure he hadn't done me any damage. I wasn't hurt so he let me go. Edward wouldn't look me in the eyes.

"What gives?" I asked him.

"I have to go," was all he said as he brushed on by me and took off in a hurry again. I stood there stunned and watched him leave. _'What the hell was that about?' _I shrugged it off and carried on with my day.

I didn't want to head back to class just yet. I pranced myself over the library where kids went on their free periods to study. Alice had a free block at this time so I was hoping to find her there.

"Looking for me?"

"Ah!" I gasped loudly as she popped up beside me at the library entrance.

"Shhh!" she hushed with a teasing smirk, "This is a library, Silver. Keep your voice down,"

"Thanks for the tip!" I whispered back playfully and followed her.

"Skipping class again?" she quietly interrogating me, pulling me to a table to sit down with her.

"No…I have a hall pass!" I took pleasure informing her of the legitimacy of my outing. Even though I was supposed to be no more that 5 minutes and my time was more than used up by now.

"Why were you coming to find me?" she asked, trying to act innocent.

"Like you don't know!" I scolded her. I was frustrating when she knew things and played ignorant.

"Edward just needs some space. He is having a tough day!" she told me, her eyebrows rising at the words 'space' and 'tough'. I thought for a moment what would be so tough on a vampire with super senses.

"You mean…" I started. She nodded that my instinct was correct. "Has he not been hunting lately?" I whispered_. 'It is unusual for Edward to be tempted by the scent of blood so badly he would have to leave school'_ I told myself. He was very disciplined. Jasper was usually the one that left on occasion when the smell of human blood became too much for him to resist. And Jasper was getting nearly perfect at withholding his urges.

Alice's face was plastered with a tenseness that had me a bit worried. She was not telling me everything. Which was fine. I would find out eventually.

"I think you should stop hanging out with the new girl, though,"

"What? There is a ban on her now too?" I asked, disgruntled by the bleep in my plans to befriend Bella.

Alice said nothing.

"Is she evil?" I added teasingly, tilting my head and gazing at Alice innocently. She ignored my snotty comebacks.

"Just for the time being, Silver. I think it would be best for our family," she told me, holding back what she was concealing from me. I squinted my eyes into slits to let her know that I was on to her.

"What is the matter with Bella? She's not a werewolf too, is she?" I burst out in a rant. Alice's eyes bugged from her head, but she didn't say a word.

"Is she some sort of demon? Oh oh! I know!" I sarcastically carried on with my schpeel, "A mermaid! That has to be it! She must be a demon mermaid!"

Alice was not impressed with my attitude. She sat back with her arms folded in her chest.

"She is disguised as a human girl, but when she touches water she reverts back to her true form!" I continued, waving my hands about like a crazy person.

"And she had come to Forks to summon all the teenage boys out to sea so she can devour them and stay young forever!!!" I exclaimed dramatically. _'He he he'_ I thought as I finished and settled down in my seat. _'I amuse me!'_

"Are you through?" Alice asked sweetly, but still not amused by my ridiculously fake accusations.

"Yes," I giggled. _'Hmmm…I wonder if mermaids are real?' _my mind wandered curiously.

"Good!" Alice sharply said, leaning forward. "Now, get your butt back to class or I will tell Esme you have been skipping out again!"

"You wouldn't!" I bravely taunted. Her face stayed fixed in a firm glare. _'Better not test her. She is a bit moody today,' _I reasoned internally. I sighed deeply and stood up with gusto.

"Fine! I was done talking to you anyway!" I replied half jokingly, with my head held high, "I can figure things out on my own!"

I was almost out the door when she called out to me.

"Silver! Do as you are told for once!" I heard her warning. "For Devan's sake!"

I swung around to face her, but when I did she was nowhere in sight. All I saw were a dozen of so students staring at me. The librarian shot me a nasty face through her thick-framed glasses. I back out gently into the hallway. As I walked back to History class I thought about Alice's last words. _'For Devan's sake? What is that supposed to mean?'_

*

*

*

After School I went to Basketball practice, but was deeply distracted by two things. Most importantly, Seth! He was sitting in the bleachers watching with Cody. Ever now and then they would chant out to me as I ran laps or drills.

And the other thing that was on my mind was the whole 'stay away from Bella' thing. It didn't make any sense.

I had been trying to snoop a bit into Edward's day, but I was not getting anywhere. He had gone to class, completed all of his work, and then moved on to the next class. I was the only exception to a family of perfect students. Edward was like the others. He did as he was told and completed the assignments and got top marks. I never understood the point of doing that. It wasn't like he couldn't try again next decade!

I was trying to perfect my layup, but in between each rotation I was diving into visions. All I caught sight of was Edward in class or Edward taking off into the hallway. I couldn't seem to catch the in between scene that was surly the cause of his emotional upset this afternoon.

"Silver! You're up!" Coach Campbell announced. I snapped back to reality and caught the fast moving ball that was coming at me. I dribbled it, jumped up and let go. The ball hit the backboard, then the hoop, and bounced out. _'Shit!'_ I screamed in my head.

"Your timing is off, Silver! You released the ball too late!" coach yelled at me. _'Oh, bite me!'_

"Thanks, coach!" I answered in a friendly manner. I went to the back of the lineup and tried one more time to see a better picture.

This time I was right on target. I could see Edward in Biology class. The only class of his I had not delved into yet. It was a rather dull start. Nothing exciting….but then Bella walked in. The mood shifted all of a sudden. I felt intoxicated by her scent. It was floral and made my head scream like I had allergies. As she grew closer to Edward I could feel Bella's confusion. _'Why was Edward staring at her like she was hurting him?'_ I couldn't breathe. I wasn't breathing! I needed to get out of the vision. Edward bolted up and swept out of the classroom.

I hunched over and held my side as I gasped for air. It had felt like forever since I had taken a breath. _'Geez, Edward!'_ I scolded him mentally,_ 'What the hell is your problem?' _I had felt so out of control and pained while experiencing that memory.

I heard my name so I straightened myself up.

SMACK!

And then I went from standing to being seated on the gymnasium hardwood holding my head. _'What the?'_ I thought in confusion. _'How did I get down here?'_ I looked around. A few girls knelt beside me asking me if I was okay. I nodded and got back up. Irony hit me. _'This is the 2nd time today I had ended up on my ass because of Edward!' _

"Get your head in the game, Silver!" Coach Campbell bellowed over to me, "We have a tournament this weekend!"

"Sorry," I mumbled and dropped my hand down from my red cheek. I swear the ball must have stamped an imprint of its texture onto my skin. _'Ouch,'_ I thought, looking over to the bleachers. Cody was laughing. Seth was eyeing me with concern. I gave him two thumbs up to tell him I was okay. Then he smiled and sat back down. I continued on with practice, but my mind was elsewhere. I didn't make a single one of my layups.

*

*

*

We got out of practice 15 minutes early. I hurried over to Seth who was waiting outside for me under the covered awning out of the rain. I needed him close to comfort me. I was feeling vulnerable and a bit emotional from the events that occurred during practice. I ran into his arms and felt myself thud against his chest. It almost hurt, but I was so happy to see him I didn't care.

"Whoa! What is with you?" he asked me as I clung desperately to him.

"I am just so happy to see you," I whispered into his soft, worn t-shirt. It smelled so sweet. It smelled like Seth.

"You sure were acting loopy tonight. I rarely see you miss a shot. You were all over the place in there,"

"I know. I have a lot on my mind," I mumbled, squeezing more tightly into his rippled chest. _'My goodness, my boyfriend is hot!'_

"You sure you are okay, though? You got smacked in the head with a basketball and just walked it off!"

"Ya. That wasn't so bad," I shrugged. _'It was Edward's run in with Bella in Biology that left me worn out,'_ I told myself. I finally pulled away and lifted my head up to see Seth's face. He was smiling warmly down on me. I felt the heat radiating from his breath hit the top of my head.

"Mmmmm" I moaned and closed my eyes. I didn't have to wait long. His lips very quickly became emerged with mine. I immediately felt relief from my troubled thoughts.

We took a seat on the side of the steps heading towards the parking lot. My ride wasn't due to pick me up until 7pm. It was dusk and everyone was on there way home from practice. I didn't notice anyone walk by us. Nor did I know what time it was. I had no concept of time when I was with Seth. What felt like a few minutes sometimes, in reality, was 10 or 15 minutes.

I felt him draw back from me. I tried to hold on, but he was too strong and his grip on my shoulders pushed me away from his warmth. I shivered slightly as I opened my eyes. _'Why was he stopping? Did I do something wrong?'_

"I have to go!" he said bluntly, standing up. I shot myself up as swiftly as I could. I grabbed onto him.

"What's wrong?" I demanded weakly. I was shaken from the abrupt end to out make out session.

"Nothing! I have to go. Let go," he said under his breath. He struggled against me grasp. I knew if he wanted to he could have gotten free, but he was trying to be gentle.

"Seth,"

"Silver, let me go! I don't want this!" he shuttered as he spoke. His body was trembling. I say fear in his eyes. There were tiny beads of perspiration on his brow.

"What? You don't want what?" I tried to made sense of what he was saying.

"This is too much! I can't do this! I won't do this!" he seethed.

"Are you ill? Tell me what's wrong! Let me help you!" I practically begged him, now clinging to him with both hands desperately. His hands wrapped around my forearms and threw them off his body. My grasp on his shirt ripped the material in the forceful motion. His hands remained tight around my wrists and he shook in what seemed like anger, but he was grimacing in pain.

"Ow, Seth. Stop!" I gasped, "Please…." He was trying to stop. I could see he was trying, but he was not able to for some reason. "Seth, you're hurting me!" I cried out.

There was a growl set behind me. A low, rumbling sound and then as Seth released me. I stumbled back into another solid being. Seth's body was tense, but he eyes were immensely sad. He backed up a few steps. I remained still, two cold hands carefully took hold of my shoulders. My mouth was stuck ajar as Seth turned from me and ran.

"Silver, are you all right?"

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't move.

Everything was falling apart.

_'Why? Why was this happening? Why now?'_

"I don't understand!" I whimpered. Burning tears erupted from my eyes and ran hot down my skin.

"Come, let's get you home,"

I was dazed. I could see a blurring figure facing me, telling me to calm down. Telling me to breathe.

But I couldn't breathe…

For the second time today I couldn't breathe. Only, this time, it was really happening. This was the present. And I couldn't just come back to reality and make it all disappear.

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**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	26. Slip Up

Chapter 26- Slip Up

Devan's POV:

**Same day: backed up to when Devan got home from school....**

When I returned home from school I immediately ran up to my room to grab some piano compositions that I had almost completed. They were not masterpieces, by any means, but they were not total crap! I was excited to get to work so I could play them for Edward. I tried to believe it was for my own self worth, but I secretly wanted to please Edward. I was too far gone in love with him by this point to deny it to myself. Deny it to the World, yes...but not to myself. _'A step in the right direction!' _I praised myself needlessly.

I threw down my book bag on my bed and rummaged through my desk drawer to pick out the top few pieces of sheet music scattered on top of the pile. I slammed the drawer back shut and hurried downstairs to the piano. I stopped in the hallway to look in the mirror first, though. I rubbed down a few fly away hairs with my palm. '_Ugh!_' I thought at my disarray and turned from my reflection before I could become more critical of myself than I already was.

With the music hugged tightly to my chest and an anxious grin on my lips I hurried down the spiral staircase. I stopped short when I came to the bottom. The piano in clear sight was standing alone in the wide-open room. _'Where is Edward?' _Usually when we were set to meet he was at the piano first, seated on the bench, waiting for me. That was our routine. Our ritual. I counted on it.

I took each step towards the Grand in stride and put the papers neatly on the seat. I looked around. I almost missed her, since she was so still. Esme was leaning against the window, gazing out solemnly. She was holding on to herself as if she might fall apart if she didn't.

I walked closer to see what she might be looking at outside. She still didn't move. I was able to see now that I was nearer to her that she was troubled.

"Is everything allright?" I spoke at barely a whisper. Her eyes closed tightly. I could envision tears falling from them if that were a possibility. After a long moment she reopened them and turned just her head to face me. Her body remained stagnant in its graceful position against the window.

"I hope so, Devan," the words ached as she said them. I shuttered slightly at her forlorn state. I carefully came towards her. The pain on her beautiful, heart shaped face more than I could bear. I opened my arms and reached out. I nearly panicked at my gesture. I was not normally demonstrative with my affection, but this was instinctual. She didn't hesitate to open her arms up to me and let me embrace her.

"Thank you, darling," she sighed gently. I wrapped my arms around her thin waist and clung to my arms that linked behind her back. Despite the sorrow of the moment, I felt a sense of release. I couldn't remember the last time I had hugged anyone besides Silver and meant it.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I offered.

"No, dear. The only thing to be done is to wait and to hope he does the right thing?"

"He? He who?" I asked sharply, my curiosity getting the better of me. I felt her body sway with a deep sigh and she said the one thing that I most didn't want to hear.

"Edward has left Forks,"

"What?!" I blurted out in anger. I let go of her and waited for her to take her strong, delicate arms off me so I could move back to face her. She did so softly. Her eyes were still very sad when I looked into them for answers.

"He came home early from school today when I was out at the store and left a note saying he, regretfully, would be gone for a while,"

"What? Why? Where did he go?" I asked, my words so closely strung together I hoped they were audible.

"He didn't say,"

"But why? For how long?" I demanded unreasonably. Clearly Esme was upset for the same reasons I was. He had taken off without saying goodbye and telling us when he would be coming home. _'How could he just take off?'_

"I don't know, dear. We will have to wait to hear from him,"

"But…but..," I stuttered. My head shook in my disappointment. _'I need him!'_

"He wouldn't go if it were not necessary," she tried to console me now. I was making matters worse with my emotional blowout. I tried to reigned myself in.

"He didn't say goodbye!" I whispered. I felt prickly tears trying to work their way to my eyes, but I wouldn't allow them to follow through. _'It is that Bella! She is behind this. Somehow!'_ I raged inside. I had no idea were it was coming from, but I had a feeling that this had to do with her. Esme's cold arms had me once again. This time she was doing the comforting.

*

*

*

After finding out the news about Edward's disappearance I closed myself up in my room to suffer in a puddle of my own despair. I needed to talk to Silver. She would have something to say that would help this situation. Even if it was bogus, it would take my mind off my own thoughts. _'She is my light in the dark. She can't help but be a ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy day!'_ I thought optimistically, blushing instantly as I heard the words in my head. I didn't care if I was being poetic, I needed a distraction.

But my thoughts continuously returned to Edward's mysterious disappearance. Everything I could think of that would make this my fault raced through my mind. My brain felt like it was being torn to pieces and it shrieked from self-deprecation overload!

'_It can't be Bella. They haven't even met!'_ I screamed at myself for even thinking to blame her. _'But he was so focused on her this morning. He was staring at her so intensely she might have just burst into flames!'_

I pulled my pillow over my head and had the horrible thought that he might be on to me. _'Does he know about my vision? Is he running away from me?'_ The silence was unbearable. I sat up determined to put my mind at rest.

'_Edward'_ I repeated his name in my mind. '_Edward,_' I continued to zero in on him. I clenched myself up and really tried to focus. It worked. I could see him now.

He was getting out of his Volvo and Esme was there to greet him. Esme ran to him and threw herself into him tightly. "Don't ever do this again. Do you hear me? You can't leave home. We are a family. We stick together no matter what," she told him sternly, but with love as the motivation behind her words. He nodded and tried to smile, but worry still glimmered in his glorious, golden eyes.

I jolted to my feet as soon as I was through seeing what the future had in store. I ran out into the hall and hurried to find Esme to give her the good news.

"He is coming home! I saw him. He will come home!" I called out as I ran towards the muffled voices I could hear at the end of the hall. I was too late. The whole family, excluding Edward, was in the living room in the middle of some big discussion.

"We know," Emmet informed me.

"Well, gosh! Thanks for letting me know!" I cranked. I lightened up when I saw Silver was hunched over on the chair by the sofa looking like she could break if anyone touched her with too much force. Carlisle had his hand laid gently on her shoulder to support her.

"Silver has found out why Edward needed to leave," Esme explained.

"Why?" I burst out.

"It's Bella," Silver croaked out the name.

My face fell. _'I knew it was her!'_ I seethed internally. _'It is not me. He didn't leave because of me!'_

Everyone patiently let her tell me what she had seen in a vision of hers. She frailly told the story. She was so weak it seemed. _'With worry, I suppose,'_ I decided. I had no idea she felt this way about Edward as a brother. Or perhaps her reaction was because she knew how I felt for him. Whatever the reason was, Silver looked like she had been to hell and back. She finished telling me what she had seen of his encounter with Bella in Biology today and looked away in sorrow.

"So…she smells strongly?" I said the words without really understanding them.

"It sometimes happens when an individual person's scent is too tempting for us to resist. It is rare someone would be so much more potent than others. It must have been hard for him to walk away," Carlisle spoke clearly.

"He left to stop himself from killing her. To keep our secret safe," Rosalie piped up. Jasper was holding Alice and looking a bit too smug for my liking. I knew he was the one who usually had a hard time with the scent of human blood. Edward showing weakness must have made him feel less alone.

"But he is coming back!" I announced, "I saw it!"

"Alice has already told us," Rosalie casually sighed, bored by my news. I shot her an angered glare. I wished that arrows really could shoot from my eyes into her perfectly manicured head!

"We need you and Silver to stay away from Bella. Edward will have to be careful to avoid Bella until he learns how to control his thirst around her. And the whole family will need to help him with this," Carlisle instructed. I nodded. _'Anything for Edward,'_ I thought glad that the whole family was going to chip in and help with 'Operation: No More Bella'!

"Fine by me! I don't need to be friends with her!" I said without hesitation. No one seemed to notice my strong dislike for Bella in my tone. They were all too busy watching Silver.

"I am tired," she said, "I am going to bed,"

"What about dinner, Silver?" Esme asked lovingly. Silver stood slowly. Her movements were still graceful, but slowed down as she began to walk towards the hallway.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled and never stopped moving. Once she was out of the room I turned to the group.

"What wrong with her?" I asked the family who were all more aware than I was.

"She and Seth had a bit of a fight," Jasper answered me first. Esme and Carlisle were hand in hand looking worried as they usual did when the topic of Seth came up.

"Not a fight!" Alice corrected, "Seth seemed to be losing control of himself and tried to pull away from her,"

"She is confused and hurt right now. Perhaps you should go check on her, dear," Carlisle suggested, cutting Alice off before she told me too much. I didn't care. Silver would probably tell me the whole story. I nodded at Carlisle and did as he asked.

*

*

*

I found Silver curled up on her bed in a ball, hugging her knees. I sat next to her. I didn't have to ask her to tell me. She wanted to. I knew she was the type who needed to share her feelings. She needed an outlet to release the pain from her body. It was a healthier way to deal with problems. That was for sure. _'I wish I could just tell Edward how I feel'_ I chided myself for keeping my feelings all locked up inside.

Silver couldn't seem to find the words to tell me what had happened so she showed me. Her hand was cool and her grip was weak, but all of a sudden I was seeing her and Seth making out in front of the school. _'Okay…so it started out nicely for her,'_ I thought, as the scene was set. Then I saw how he suddenly pushed her away. The rejection was torturous! I felt it for her. My lungs wouldn't inflate. He seemed like he was about to lash out at Silver at any moment, but then Carlisle showed up and Seth took off. Silver was left standing on the school steps distraught and confused.

She dropped my hand and we were back on her bed together. She was still just as distraught as in her vision. No tears fell, but she cried silently. I released a sigh and let her put her head down on my lap. She curled up and struggled to catch her breath. Seeing her evening replayed was probably not the best thing she could have done for herself.

After she had settled down I slipped myself out from under her and covered her up with her favorite quilt. She was so peaceful now in sleep. I quietly went to my own bed. I was feeling very sorry for her situation, but a part of me was thankful for it because it took my mind off of Edward.

But now that she was asleep and I was left in the dark, in my bed, alone to think…Edward was the only person on my mind. I wanted him to come home so badly. Just to see his face again and to hear the music that came from inside him when he sat at the piano. I needed him my life. I wanted to tell him I loved him. I could hear myself saying it to him. It sounded so casual in my daydreams. _'I love you… I love you… I love you…'_

I felt like slapping myself. There would be no point in that. It would be like answering my thoughts and that would make me even crazier!

So I just watched shadows dance on the ceiling of our bedroom. I did that all night long until the moonlight faded into daylight and the shadows from the swaying trees began to fade. My head was fuzzy and my eyes were sore from sleep deprivation. All I could hear was _'I love you…'_ lingering in my head.

I was just nicely falling asleep as the alarm clock blared 'Crocodile Rock' at me.

"No! Nooooo way!" I moaned, rolling onto my side and swatting the loud hunk of hindrance that rang Elton John's voice at me! _'I hate you!'_ I scornfully glared at the clock. I flopped back onto my pillow. _'Today is going to be a bad day,'_ I decided.

"Girls…time to get up. No hitting the snooze button incessantly today. I want you to both to have a good breakfast before you start the day," I heard Esme say from outside in the hall. I slapped my hands onto my face and groaned.

"Hurry up now and get washed and dressed," she instructed and her footsteps faded out as she left. I moved my hands from my face and sat up. Silver was still lying motionless, on her side, facing the wall.

"Get up, sleepy. Esme wants to feed us!" I sassed her way like she always did to me. She didn't budge. I got up and heading over to her and nudged her gently. _'I hope she is going to be okay today,'_

"I am not going!"

"You love food!" I said, shocked by her turn down of one of Esme's lovingly prepared meals.

"I am not going to school!" she rephrased in a hard voice.

"Are you sick?" I asked her, cupping my hand on her forehead. She reached one of her hands up from under her quilt and pushed it away. _'She isn't abnormally warm,'_ I decided, not hurt by her brush off. I hated when anyone touched me without asking too.

"Yes, now go away!"

"Uh…" I uttered, in my own confusion.

"Please," she finished, guilt obvious in the short word.

"Okay," I agreed. There was nothing I could think to do or say to help her right now anyway.

"Can you hand my in essay for me in History?" she mumbled without turning to talk to my face.

"I guess," I responded_. 'I am sure Esme or Carlisle will have sometime to say about this. She isn't sick,'_ I thought as I shook my head and left to wash up and brush my teeth.

I got dressed and combed my hair back into a neat ponytail. I saw Silver's lipstick sticking out from her make up purse and snatched it and put it in my pocket. Then I zipped up her bag and headed to the kitchen.

"Silver says she is not going to school today," I told Esme and the others as I took my seat on a stool at the island bar.

"I heard," Esme sighed. She continued to flip eggs in a cast iron frying pan.

"And…" I pressed. _'They aren't going to let her just stay in bed and wallow in her own misery. Are they?'_

"I have spoken to Carlisle and he agreed to allow her one day to rest. I will call the school after breakfast to let the office know," she informed me as she went about the kitchen in a well-organized routine.

"Oh, come on!" I blurted out. Alice and Rosalie's heads snapped around to view me. It was uncharacteristic of me to talk back.

"Her boyfriend, without explanation, pushed her off of him and ran away from her!" Alice stated, clearly on Silver's side. I couldn't understand why. We all knew that Seth was potentially dangerous. _'What about me? Edward ran away and left me!'_ I screamed inside.

"One day," Esme repeated, and put a plate of toast and eggs in front of me. I shut my mouth and dug into the eggs sharply with my fork. They all accepted this attitude to be part of my morning grumpiness that I so often display even when I had a full night's sleep. I was groggy and irritable. Not a good combination.

*

*

*

School got off to a slow start. It was spitting rain gently, but Mrs Kemp still made us run track in gym. I slugged along the track, my feet barely lifting high enough not to scrape the ground and trip me. _'Maybe I should trip and fall! Twist an ankle or something,'_ I thought. _'I could make a whole ordeal out of it and get to go home!' _

I was really resenting that I was out in the cold, freezing my butt off and Silver was home in bed. _'Typical of how my life works!'_

But I didn't fake injury. I sometimes thought of doing that sort of thing to get out of school. It would be completely plausible. I fall down on a regular basis anyway. However, I could never bring myself to do it. It was a lie. And I never liked to lie. That is what made keeping my feelings for Edward so difficult. It was lie to deny it. A lie by omission!

I was panting and coughing on the crisp air as I finally came to the end of my 6 laps around the track. I wasn't the last girl to finish, but I was in the bottom 30% that was for sure. I bent over and held my upper body up with my hands on my knees. My warm breath poured out from under a veil of my stringy, damp hair and diffused into the air as it spread. I heard a bit of a screech of brakes and held my head up towards the parking lot.

Off in the distance, the color bronze caught my eye. I shot my body up and strained to see if I was hallucinating or not. _'Nope!'_ I was sane! _'It's him! He came back!'_ A huge, smile broke out on my worn out, blotchy face and I began to run towards the school entrance to see if I could catch him before he got too far.

"Miss Cullen, where do you think you're going?" Mrs Kemp asked, but I didn't turn around. I just kept running. I think I was having what is known as a 'second wind'!

"Edward!" I called. My face was tight from joy. He was inside already as I reached the front doors and threw one of them open. It made a big bang sound!

"Edward!" I called out one more time as I saw him disappear around the corner in the distance. I dropped my hands down at my sides so they dangled lifelessly and nearly wept from exhaustion.

Then he was there again. He popped back out from behind the cornered wall and looked at me. The light in my face switched on again and my smile came back. I began to walk towards him. I expected him to do the same. You know, meet me half way…but he was stuck in place.

"Edward! You're back!" I exclaimed, almost about to hug him in my joy filled intoxication. I retracted my slightly outreached arms before it was too late.

"Yes," he softly acknowledged my assessment.

"You've been home to see Esme, right?" I checked up on the accuracy of my vision.

"Yes," he said in the same soft tone.

"You are staying, right?" I asked him, not able to hide the happiness in my voice.

"Yes," he answered again. He was very calm. Not like Carlisle, though. That was a controlled calm. Edward's calm was a cover up for his true feelings. He was holding back, I could tell.

"I missed you," I offered, my smile fading a bit from his lack of enthusiasm.

"I am sorry I just took off. We had plans, I know," he began.

"Oh, that is allright," I cut him off, "Silver figured out why you had to leave and we all understand!"

"I have to get to the office to switch classes. I will see you after school," he told me. I was a bit hurt by the casualness of his tone, but I was still over the moon about his return so I didn't let it bother me. I nodded my head so swiftly I got a bit dizzy.

"Sure. See you after school then," I stated hopefully. His head bowed and the very corner of his lips curled up. That just about finished me off right the and there. I would have passed out if didn't have so much adrenaline running through me from running track.

"I have something to play for you," I told him without thinking. _'Oh crap!' _I immediately panicked. The only compositions he hadn't heard yet were all love songs I had written for him. _'I have nothing else to play for him!' _But I didn't want to worry about that. I could play him something he had already heard.

"I look forward to hearing it," he said as he raised his head up and looked me in the eyes. _'I wish I could play your song,' _I sighed. It was moments like these I was glad he was not able to her my thoughts. That was truly a miracle.

*

*

*

The remainder of the day was not so bad knowing that Edward was home. He had only been gone for one day. _'I wonder what made him decide to come home?'_ I pondered as I headed to my locker after my last class. When I reached my locker I fumbled with the lock trying to open it as fast as I could. _'Come on! Come on!' _I finally succeed and flung the metal door open and reached inside.

I shoved all my things into my bag and threw it over my shoulder. I didn't even check to see if I had all the right textbooks. I was in too big of a hurry to go meet Edward and the others in the parking lot. I quickly took out the lipstick I had stolen from Silver this morning and put some color on my lips. I smacked them together puckered them slightly to admire the improvement it made to my otherwise plain face. _'Good enough!'_ I told myself and slipped the lipstick into my pocket. I slammed my locker shut and hustled myself down the hall and out the front doors.

There he was! Standing by his Volvo with Alice and Jasper. I began to walk over to them trying my best to hide my excitement to be near him again. I made it about half way to them when everything seemed to turn around in a whirlwind rotation and I suddenly was facing the opposite direction.

Bella was standing by her beat up truck, not paying attention to Tyler Crowely's van that was heading straight toward her. The van was out of control and the brakes screeched loudly, but it didn't slow the moving vehicle. I tried to scream out to warn her, but I had no voice. In fact, I couldn't move. This wasn't happening yet. The van hit her with a violent crash, sandwiching her between the two vehicles.

I staggered out of my vision and looked up. I could see all my siblings watching me curiously. My face was horror struck. Edward and Alice were both aware of why I was so shaken. Alice gave me a stern look and waved me to come to her. I whipped around to see if Bella's truck was still there. It was! And Bella was standing by it as a wave of déjà vu stuck me so badly I shuddered and nearly fell down.

"Devan! No!" I head Alice scream as I dropped my bag and ran to Bella.

"Bella! Move!" I screamed, this time sound came from my moving lips. I practically chocked on the words I screamed them so loudly. Bella turned just in time for me to slam into her and knock her down and out of the way. I quickly stood up and saw Tyler's van right next to me. I braced for impact.

There had been so much more time in my vision it had seemed. Perhaps I had been viewing it in slow motion. As soon as I saw the van beside me I just accepted that it was going to hit me. The last person I saw was that of the girl whom I absolutely despised. Bella's face was glued in horror to what was about to happen.

I was about to die.

I felt my body slam and thankfully the blackness came immediately. I didn't have a chance to suffer….

*

*

*

….Or maybe not!

I wasn't dead. I was still breathing. That was woefully obvious as I came to!

The blurriness that covered everything in my view slowly wore off and the tunnel of images became larger until I could hear the humming of an engine and voices around me. Then I saw him. Edward's face appeared and he leaned closer as I tried to speak.

"I love you," I told him breathlessly. His worried face took the time to smirk before it reverted back to worry.

I enjoyed when he smirked at me. His coy smile always gave me goosebumps. Although, after leaning up and looking around at my surroundings and finding myself in the back of an ambulance, I wasn't sure if my goosebumps were from Edward or from seeing the IV catheter that was taped down in place on my right hand. I shuddered again.

"Devan, you need to stay still," he instructed me sternly. I obeyed him at once, feeling a bit sick as I realized the whole school saw me unconscious and driven away in an ambulance. _'How did the van not hit me?' _I wondered. I saw Edward's concerned face again and I changed my focus to him.

"I love you, Edward," I repeated. And I meant it. I was trying to tell him. I had nearly died and I needed him to know. Only, he didn't seem to believe me. He expression was kind, but impatient. He kept looking out the window to see where we were.

"I love you," I said the words again as meaningfully as I could. It sounded even better out loud than it ever had in my dreams.

"Devan, please relax. You hit your head," he told me, with a tiny chuckle rolling out of his mouth. His smirk now beginning to look like it was mocking me. I felt the blood drain from my face as I held my breath. _'He thinks I am confused,' _I realized.

No pain could be worse than this. My heart might as well of stopped right then. I wanted to die. I closed my eyes and sucked back my tears. I didn't want to look at him anymore.

I kept my eyes tightly closed until I felt a draft of cool air sweep across my face and my whole body jerking as they unloaded me from the ambulance to roll me inside into Emergency. Carlisle was there by my side right as soon as they brought me in.

He calmly ordered everyone around him to their specific duties. He was thorough and examined me himself before releasing me the other technicians. I had two head scans and multiple x-rays taken before I was returned to a stationary bed in one of the upstairs patient rooms.

I had only a large bump on the back of my head and a mild concussion. But other than where my head must have hit the ground nothing else was damaged. I had no open wounds to stitch up this time. No broken bones and no internal bleeding. The hospital was holding me hostage for one night for observation, though. I was not pleased with that news. Carlisle tried to reassure me how I was very lucky to have come out of this accident nearly unscathed.

His words for of no console to me. I didn't feel lucky.

I heard bits and pieces of the story. Edward had gotten to me just in time to throw me down and out of the way of the van's deadly path as it smashed into him. But in doing this I smacked the back of my head on the hard concrete, sending my into unconsciousness straight away. I had thought I was dead.

No such luck.

'_I wish I were dead!'_

I was hoping to be alone, but it didn't look like I was going to get that wish. Edward had been following me around since we had arrived at the hospital. He continued filling Carlisle in on the details of the accident as I pretended to be sleeping. The task of sleep was impossible anyway what with the BP cuff going off every 3 minutes to update my status. I was ready to kill that thing! Their whispers were just loud enough over the noises in the room so I could make out what they were saying.

"I had no choice but to stop the van. It would have killed her!" Edward explained.

"You did the right thing, Son," Carlisle said calmly, "Did anyone see you run to her and push the van away?"

"I am not sure. Isabella Swan was there. The van would have hit her instead if Devan hadn't of pushed her out of the way,"

"Devan did that?" Carlisle's voice was a mix of surprise and pride.

"She must have seen that it was going to happen. Alice saw it too," Edward said, his voice low and set with a growling rumble. _'Is he angry with me for saving Bella?'_ I wondered as I eavesdropped. "Alice was confused. She saw both outcomes. One was Bella being killed, the other was Devan. We never thought Devan would do what she did,"

"Is Miss Swan hurt? Has anyone checked in on her?"

"No, she is uninjured. The others are trying to find out if she saw anything, but she went home with her father. So far no rumors of what I did have circulated,"

"You'd better lay low for a while, just in case she did see you rescue Devan and found it suspicious,"

The worry in their tones of voices made me feel guilty. Now the whole family would be in danger of our secret being revealed. If Bella did see anything and told, we would have to pack up and leave immediately and hope the Volturi would not hear of any of this. They were still unaware that Silver and I were living with the Cullens. The consequences would be dire if word got to them.

I was beyond despair. I was to blame for all of this. The hurt was all consuming. Momentarily, all I heard was the whooshing of my pulse in my ears. _'I have exposed us!'_

I missed a chunk of Carlisle and Edward's conversation. When I picked it up again I caught the tail end of Edward saying, "She was disorientated as all hell in the ambulance. She was talking nonsense!"

"What sort of nonsense do you mean?" Carlisle asked him.

'_Edward thinks me telling him I love him is joke worthy. He thinks it is laughable! That is all I am to him. A joke!' _Anger whelmed inside me. _'You really have made a fool of yourself this time, Devan!'_

I had been a very good patient up until this point. I had done as I was told. I stayed still and let the nurses and doctors poke and prod me for the last hour and didn't complain or make a fuss. But even I had my limits.

"Leave!" I yelled at Edward forcefully, grabbing the railing of the bed and pulling myself up. That is when the machine I was hooked up to began to announce the anger I was feeling inside. It raged with high-pitched erratic bleeps as my heart pumped faster. Carlisle came to my bedside at once.

"Lay down, Devan," he told me gently with his hand on my shoulder. He didn't force it.

"I want you to leave. Now!" I firmly demanded of Edward, not tearing my eyes from his as I seethed the words out.

I could feel my body shaking. He didn't budge. He didn't even seem upset that I was trying to kick him out of the room. He stood there, staring back at me. My chest heaved as I took each breath. I was going to win this one! Persistent beeping was the only sound in the room.

"I think you'd better leave, Edward," Carlisle told him. Edward finely turned his glance from mine and stormed out. I kept my eyes locked on the spot he had been standing moments ago. I resisted Carlisle's effort to guide me down from my seated position to the pillow below me.

"Devan, listen to me," Carlisle told me in a calm, reassuring voice, "You have been through enough for one day. Don't play the hero. I need you to lay back down and rest now,"

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly. I stubbornly held my mouth tight. My hands clenched onto the bed railings so hard my hands went white. I released the angered breath I had been withholding into Carlisle's white coat. His front pocket was eye level to mine and I took a moment to notice he had the customized penlight that Silver and I had given him for his 362nd birthday hooked inside. We had it engraved with his name on it for him.

"I am so sorry," I whispered airily, my head aching. I couldn't look up at him. I was too ashamed of myself for being so careless. I made Edward save me in front of the whole school. I had put our family at risk.

Carlisle shifted his body gently and unlatched the railing on the side he was standing next to. I let my hand go as the bar slid downward to lock under the bed frame. He sat beside me.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," his voice was comforting, but useless to my deprecating state of mind.

"I don't know what I was thinking…" I trailed off, easing my grip on the metal bar so the color returned to my hand. "I couldn't just let her die…" I babbled hysterically.

"You did the right thing, Devan,"

"How can you say that? She saw the whole thing! Edward was halfway across the parking lot and then…She saw everything! What if she tells everyone? It's my fault. It is all my fault!" I cried out, panic resurfacing from within me again. The monitor rang out annoyingly as it recognized my heart rate fluctuating.

"No," Carlisle said to me soothingly. He reached out and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Look at me," he said. I did, but when I saw his kind, understanding eyes I dropped my head down. "No, you look at me and listen," he told me with a more authority. I obeyed and met his eyes once more.

"I am sorry," I tried to tell him again. As the words came out he shook his head.

"You shouldn't be. You did exactly what you were supposed to do. You would not be the Devan I know and love if you were able to walk away from saving a life when you have the power to do so. You have the ability to change the future. That is an amazing gift. One you can be proud of,"

"I hate it! I wish I couldn't see the future. It is too hard…" I bawled. I felt so childish for my tantrum. I loathed the sound the monitor blared as my pulse went up and down along with my outbursts. It was embarrassing, but I couldn't seem to control my emotions. I had been suppressing them for so long.

"For of those to whom much is given, much is required," he told me, quoting a passage from the Bible. I recognized it as being quoted by John F Kennedy.

Now I was silent. I knew what he was trying to get at. I couldn't ignore my gift of sight. I was left with the choice to use it responsibly or to ignore what I see. I really didn't know what to say.

My heart slowed down, which was what Carlisle had been trying to accomplish. His next words caught me off guard.

"I am so proud of you, Devan," he said, bending his head so our eyes met on an even level.

My lip quivered and more tears fell as I shut my eyes. He thoughtfully put his arms around me, careful not to hook on any of the wires that went from the electrodes stuck to my chest to the noisy machine beeping beside my bed. I didn't hesitate to lean into him and put my head to rest on his cold chest. The silence of his unbeating heart was oddly comforting. It exceeded listening to the frantic thumping that had been coming from inside me moments ago.

*

*

*

After a great deal of time passed and my tears dried up, I was able to think more clearly. Even through my heavy head and blurred thoughts I was feeling the relief of spilling my insides out.

Carlisle insisted I lie back down and take it easy. He left to inform the rest of the family of my health status. Esme was apparently paging him every 30 seconds for an update, distressed of out her mind.

I was too numb to think about Edward's reaction to my love confession. I was sure that in a day or so the memory of him laughing at my honest words would resurface and I would be feeling awful about myself again.

At least I knew that Carlisle forgave me for my actions today. That was important. Rosalie was most likely off having a conniption fit due to what I had done. I wondered how the others felt about this situation. I was surprised that Alice didn't try to warn Bella about her impending doom. Unless she was going to just let the van hit her. That thought was too troubling to consider. I am sure Alice had a reason for not stepping in.

Surely if she would have been able to or I hadn't of ran to Bella, she or Edward would have came to the rescue. _'I hope they would have,_' I pondered. The idea of them just looking the other way made me nauseous. Even if it was Bella, the source of our recent family upset.

I heard a voice in the hall and the door clicked open. Carlisle's head poked in. I smiled tiredly at him.

"Are you feeling up to having a visitor?" he asked, smiling back at me. I nodded slowly knowing who it was without asking. He backed out and Silver came running in. "Just a few minutes, Silver. Then she needs her rest," his voice said as he shut the door. Silver was already by my side with my IV-free hand in hers. She pulled my arm towards her and placed her head on my hand.

"You scared the shit out of me!"

"Uh…" I mumbled, shocked that 'shit' was one of the first words she was saying to me after my near death experience.

"I thought you were dead! All the school told us was that you were hit by a van!" she exclaimed, lifting her head up to take a look at me. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"I am sorry you were so scared," I uttered, frowning. I didn't like how my actions affected everyone. _'I am the cause of all this stress. All this pain that my family is feeling,' _I scolded myself.

"Oh, I am just so relieved!" she spoke fast, her words touching each other, "I tried to look and see the accident and there was too much chaos for me to really focus. And then you were unconscious so I couldn't get a clear idea of your condition! Esme was the most afraid I have ever seen her!"

"Silver," I mumbled softly.

"Oh, and there was a rumor you died! It was madness!" she continued to rant.

"Silver, I need you to do something for me," I said quietly again. She was about to open her mouth, unable to stop her words from spreading, but I put my hand up to get her to stop.

"Anything," she whispered desperately.

"I need you to look back to the accident more carefully. Specifically to see what Bella is doing as the event took place. We need to know if she saw anything. We need to know if she has told anyone. We need to keep an eye on her!" I demanded of my fellow seer. I was going to watch Bella's and our future so much more closely now. It was my job to protect out family after the actions I had chosen to take today. And Silver was going to help me.

Silver nodded frantically. She smiled at me and crawled up onto the bed beside me. Then she cuddled up next to me, my hand still held in hers.

"I will, I will, but all that matters is that you are okay. Nothing else is important. Not Bella, or or or," she stuttered before she continued, "Or Seth! Or Edward! No one is as important to me as you are!" Silver told me sincerely, "I love you Devan!"

"I love you," I whispered back to her. She seemed more fragile than I at this stage. I stroked her hair off her back and soothingly rubbed my palm in a circle between her shoulder blades.

I am so glad you are okay!" she sighed peacefully.

'_I am too,'_ I decided. Earlier today I wised for death, but I no longer wanted that. I could never justify leaving my sister behind. Whatever we did, we were a team. I had to remember that.

I was still feeling the tenderness of our sisterly moment until Silver opened her big mouth and added, "Oh...and I want my lipstick back, you thief!"

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**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	27. Worth Fighting For

Chapter 27 - Worth Fighting For

Silver's POV:

**A month later….**

We had gotten very lucky. I replayed the accident in my head dozen's of times. I was able to catch, from a few different angles, Bella's role in the scene. True, she saw Devan come barreling into her to knock her out of the way, but after that Mike Newton had been right next to her and for only a split second she looked to him in shock as the van was being stopped by Edward. She missed the actual heroic power play.

She was a bit confused about where Edward had come from, but with no proof of his amazing feat we were in the clear. And the only thing on her mind, according to Edward, was how grateful she was that Devan had saved her. Bella and her father came by the hospital to thank Devan the night of the accident.

Chief Swan, macho man as he was, had tears in his eyes as he dropped off a huge bouquet of flowers, a bundle of balloons, a teddy bear, and a card signed by everyone at the police station. Devan was town hero, much to her demise. The town gazette had an embarrassingly epic write up about the event. Both Bella and Devan went red faced anytime the article was mentioned.

Bella was off limits big time now! Edward was still having trouble with her scent. I totally understood why because I had felt what he was going through in my visions from his perspective. To Edward, Bella's scent was overpowering and almost too tempting to resist sucking every last drop of her blood from her body into his.

I shuddered whenever I relived any of these memories. To me Bella's smell was gag worthy! I could not understand the appeal. I would have wanted to rip her head off if I had to smell that stank every time I was near her! Yikes! _'Poor Edward. Devan should really cut him some slack!'_

Staying away from Bella Swan was not very hard since she was a junior. Edward transferred out of any classes he had with her to avoid bloodshed. We rarely got within 10 feet of her. She was hardly around anyway. Bella was a very private, quiet person. And since the accident she seemed to go into hiding almost.

The near tragic events of last month had put quite the damper on our life as well. Esme's fear of losing Devan made her ultra protective of us. She instructed every one of our siblings to keep watch on me and my sister. And not just a casual 'check in from time to time' watch….they had become like our own personally bodyguards.

The other students were starting to steer away from us to avoid run in with our siblings in fear of the interrogation they were going to face by doing so. Emmet took such a thrill in his duty. A few weeks ago, in the cafeteria, he made a freshman boy cry for asking me to pass him some napkins. _'What a big lug!' _Alas, school had become a prison.

Me and Devan were on lock down on the weekends too. Alice had seen some unknown vampire activities about to take place in Seattle a couple days ago and since then the restrictions on our freedoms got even tighter! She was on red alert as she tried to watch the future with a fine tooth, psychic comb! Home was like a holding cell. We were only released to go to school.

Not like it really mattered if I was pent up. Seth had not returned any of my calls, texts, or e-mails in 4 weeks. The last time I saw him he was like a volcano erupting and I was the one who got burnt in the overflow!

The consensus from the family was that he was 'turning' and that I had to be careful around him because a young werewolf was very unpredictable and dangerous. I understood everything that my family told me about Seth. I knew they were only trying to help….but I loved him. I wasn't sure if I could stop loving him. No matter what he was.

Not hearing from him made me crazy! I knew he was okay. I had checked in on his past a few times to make sure. He seemed just as sad as I was about being kept apart. I couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn and continuing to ignore me. I thought he knew me better than to think I would let him walk away without a fight. I was not giving up. I needed him to feel the same way.

And Devan was having some similar issues in the love field except she was desperately trying to give up on Edward. It was a no-go so far. She told me about what happened in the ambulance the day of the accident. I took a look to see for myself. It was heartbreaking to watch her spill her guts to Edward and see him respond in a less enthusiastic manner.

I had to side with Devan, for her sake, and say he acted like an ass for not really listening to her. He lost major points for laughing as she confessed her love. However, I tried to tell Devan how confused Edward had been over her words. That he probably didn't see them coming from her and she through him off guard. I encouraged her to tell him again, but she was not about to get bit twice!

My description of Edward's vision of that moment was not enough to make her less upset about her outburst that day. All I knew for sure was that Edward was really surprised by what she had told him. He had been thrown off guard. Which was not necessarily a bad thing. She didn't seem ready to see it my way. She was still mortified that she told him she loved him.

The tragedy was how she had to carry on everyday, living with him and not being able to share with him how she felt. She probably would never tell him again. Not after her first failed attempt. She didn't cry once since coming home from the hospital, but I could see the sadness in her eyes when Edward was in her view. How unjust it was that he and she spent every afternoon at the piano together and the only beautiful thing to come from it was the music they made together.

*

*

*

"Good morning, girls! Eat up!" Esme told us as we sat down at the table to have a quick breakfast before school. She had a nice spread of fruit salad, toast and scrambled eggs laid out neatly in front of our two plates. Carlisle was reading the paper across from us, but looked up to smile at us before returning to the current events.

"Yum!" I said short and I held out my arms for a hug as Esme passed by me. She giggled a soft airy melody as she happily accepted my outpouring of affection.

"Food is definitely the way to your heart!" she whispered sweetly. I nodded and released her so could I dig into the fabulous food that was awaiting me.

"So, did you study?" Devan asked me as she neatly set aside a staggering tower of note cards and placed a spoonful of eggs on her plate.

'_Study for what? I didn't know we had a test,'_ I thought, my face twisted with slight confusion. Although, it was not unlike me to space out and forget to study for something.

"Hah!" Emmet joked at the near absurdity of Devan's enquiry. I rarely studied even when I knew of a planned test. Emmet was playing Xbox in the next room, but was listening in and now I could hear him chuckling in the background.

"I didn't," I answered her plainly. I saw Carlisle's eyes pop up from behind the paper to give me a stern eyebrow raise in question. _'I don't have an exam today…do I?'_ I racked my brain to check.

"Really?" she gasped softly in surprise looking up from reading one of her notes, "You should have,"

"Again…Hah!" Emmet belted from the distance.

"Shut up, Em! I am smarter than you and you're veteran age!" I snapped loudly aimed in his direction before turning over to back to the table. Esme put her delicate hands on her hips and watched me for an explanation as to why I hadn't studied. Devan being another perfect Cullen student really annoyed me at times!

"Is there a pop quiz I don't know about? Cause' it is not my fault if I can't see the future you know!" I stated defensively to stint the parental glares.

"No," she said, "We have career aptitude testing today in CAPP class,"

I stared at her blankly for a long moment. _'What a geek!'_ I wanted to laugh. She was waiting for a response, but all I could think was of how she was losing her mind. _'Study for an aptitude test?!'_ I sneered, my face beginning to morph into a sarcastic smile and nod combo. And I did laugh a bit.

"Oh…that! Well, of course I studied for the career aptitude test!" I quipped at her playfully, her face was grim, "I thought you meant study…. As in for something that really matters!"

"This matters. These tests are over 90% accurate," she squeaked defensively.

"Ya right! Geez, Dev! Is your ponytail too tight or something? Relax!" I barked with a laugh and then I shoved a piece of banana in my mouth. I could only see Carlisle's eyes over the brim of his paper, still reading as he listened to our conversation, but it was obvious that he was smiling. _'Even Carlisle agrees with me that it is a hogwash exam!'_

"They are able to recognize from carefully generated questions and answers the specific traits and qualifications that one has that will aid in a specific career path. The test takes into consideration your personality, reading comprehension, your cognitive skills such as memory and problem solving, and a bunch of other things that will determine what sort of career is right for you," Devan rambled like I cared. She clung to her pile of study card like they were oxygen and she required them to sustain life!

"So what?" I yawned, bored by the thought of studying, school, careers, etc…. Esme's face told me to tone back my attitude, so I shuffled in my seat and gulped back some orange juice.

"So…aren't you nervous?" Devan asked of me, nerves obvious in her spastic stat. She dropped a cue card and bent down to pick it up and then placed it with the others.

"No…I don't care what some silly test in CRAP class tells me I am capable of," I began, Esme's stare intensified as intentionally misnamed my least favorite class.

"You are just saying that because you are afraid of the results!" Devan exclaimed.

"I know what I am capable of! If it tells me I am qualified to scrub slim from the sewers for a living I am not going to run out and buy a toothbrush and sign up! Not because some silly test suggests it!" I retaliated. I heard more deep laughing coming from Emmet and then continued, "Besides…this is not the kind of test you can study for, Devan," I ended with my tongue aimed in her direction.

"Whatever. I just want to be prepared. I want to do something really important one day," she huffed and stuck her face back into her deck of cue cards. I threw a chunk of toast at her playfully and laughed as it got stuck in her hair. Esme made that tisk tisk noise of disapproval and plucked the dried bread from Devan's scruffy ponytail.

*

*

*

Well, one thing was for sure. There was a test in CAPP class today. A long one! We had to miss most of our morning classes to complete it. _'I can't believe they are making us waste our time with this nonsense! 500 questions! Bah!'_ I ranted in my head as I scratched out each bubble on the scantron sheet. Our teacher, Mrs Nelson, kept shooting icy stares at me as I wiggled around in my seat, switching my leg positions every few minutes.

I didn't just answer randomly, however. I tried my best to read and comprehend what each question demanded and I responded accordingly as I saw fit. It was not hard. I knew right away when I read through the multiple-choice options which one was right for me to choose. I still loathed having miss gym class for this load of crap they called a test!

I was so relieved when I finally completed the short answer questions at the end and was able to toss the test in Mrs Newton's direction and leave the stuffy classroom. I had a short break and then was spotted in the hall by our vice principal that took great pleasure in escorting me to my scheduled class. Reluctantly, I went to Biology and took a seat by the window.

The remainder of the morning went by painfully slow. It was another dreary day. The sun was stuck behind the clouds, peeking out every once and a while for a minute or so and then disappearing again. I missed sunshine. It was springtime in Forks, which meant 21/7 rains. That few hours of dry was generally spent when we were sleeping or in school so I had not been out without an umbrella in ages! The one moment the sun was trying to sneak through and we were all stuck inside. _'Figures!'_

I was having a hard time focusing in class. What else is new? My day dreaming never amounted to anything. I would wish that Seth would be next to me. I hated that he went to school on the reservation. It made his avoiding of me possible. I needed to talk to him. I needed to let him know that I still loved him and I forgave him.

I would replay certain memories. Our first kiss in the snow…. Our second kiss…. The time we stayed at the soccer field after practice and played Ultimate Frisbee with Cody and his teammates…our date at the beach in La Push…our make out session at the beach in La Push. I sighed intently as I replayed each one. The visions of the past were so clear. Even as I stared out the window I could see him walking up the field towards me. He was steamy from the cold, damp air hitting him as he walked toward me. _'Mmmm…steamy!'_

It took me a few seconds to realize that it wasn't a memory. My visions had ended and I was really staring out at the field. And he was really walking towards the school! He seemed to be searching for something. '_Me, I hope!' _I blinked to make sure I was not hallucinating. I tore my gaze away to scope the room. _'Good. The sheep are busy at work. They have not noticed him,'_ I thought. I licked my bottom lip as I quickly schemed together a plan.

"Mr Bradley?" I called out with my hand raised.

"Yes, Silver. What is it?" he asked impatiently, looking up from his messy desk.

"I am not feeling well. May I please be excused?" I asked. _'Please please please…' _Mr Bradley watched me for a moment. Trying to decipher if I was pulling his leg.

"Sure," he answered flatly as he decided not to care if I was lying or not. He looked back at the assignments he was marking with red ink.

I slid my binder into my arms and got down from my stool as sluggishly as I could manage. It was hard to hide the thrill I was feeling. _'I understand now how Alice feels when she has to walk human speed when she is in a real hurry!'_ It was painfully aggravating.

I hit the hallway and when my Biology class was clean from sight I began to walk faster. Then a bit faster still. Eventually, I was jogging out the side doors into the soggy air. _'Stay away from the field,' _I reminded myself. Most of the classrooms windowed the back lot and have a field view. _'Where is he?'_ I thought coming to a jamming stop. I leaned against the wall like I was a spy. I looked one way, then the other_. 'Hmmm?'_

"What do you think you are doing, Silver?" I heard a melody of upset bells ring from beside me. I closed my eyes and scrunched up my face hoping it would go away if I wished hard enough. I turned my head and peeked through one eye._ 'Busted!' _

"Hey!" I said, innocently, straightening myself out so I looked less sneaky. My sprawled out, super-spy look on the outer wall was a bit suspicious I gathered.

"Well?" Alice was not going to let this go.

"Are you really asking me because you don't know?" I answered her question with a question, "Or….are you asking me so I will lie, therefore making this a punishable crime?" Alice was about to speak, but I had one more, "Or….Are you asking because you want me to say it out loud and hope I will see the error of my ways and repent my sins?"

"It is punishable regardless if you lie to me, Silver!" she heaved, but she didn't seem too angry. I think she knew how hard this entrapment was on me. I was not subtle about showing my displeasure whenever any of them followed my to many daily activities. I used to like when they would occasionally show up at a practice of a dance class of mine, but now that one of them graced every single one, I was over the thrill!

"Right…well, I don't think I will see the error of my ways so can you please just look the other way?" I asked, grabbing her thin, arms and giving her my best pleading eyes. I even added the pouted lip to soften her up.

"Silver, you can't be serious?"

"Oh, but I am!"

"If Esme and Carlisle find out you are skipping again they will freak out!" she reasoned with me.

"Really? Cause' I don't think Carlisle is capable of doing anything with the word freak in it!" I sincerely considered the idea. He was always so cool and collected in any given situation. "He is more of the 'I am disappointed in you' type of guy!" I said in a mocking voice, not very successfully I will admit.

"He is your father!" Alice reminded me with a stern tone. The word 'father' hit me a bit funny. Kind of like running into a pole and getting left behind in a crowd. I felt stupid, embarrassed and ashamed. I did think of him as a father most times. But I had never called him that to his face. Guilt swept over me.

"Ya…" I mumbled, "I suppose mocking him isn't very respectful,"

"No, it isn't," she agreed.

"Alice. I promise I won't go far!" I jumped on topic again, pushing my guilt aside. _'Seth is around here somewhere. I need to find him soon!'_

"No way!" She decided indefinitely.

"But…"

"March yourself back inside right now, Missy! Or I will give you something to be 'sick' about!" she told me and then mumbled something about how she couldn't believe I would fake ill to skip class and how irresponsible I was and she only wanted to keep me safe under her breath.

"Ugh!" I moaned deeply, throwing my hands off her in haste. _'She has gone to the dark side too!'_ I thought. Alice used to be on my side. She used to keep secrets and help me get away with mischief.

"This whole protective Alice act is really starting to chaff my ass!" I belted as I turned from her and headed back for the school doors. The bell rang and a few students began to file out into the yard.

"You are a little brat!" she replied without hesitation. I wanted to turn around and hurl something at her, but a sudden genius plan popped into my head.

It came to me instantly as I looked out to the parking lot in the far distance. There was sunlight! Actual, frickin' sunlight beaming down over all the vehicles and tempting me to execute! I didn't even stop to think if it would work. I just ran!

"No! STOP!" I heard Alice yell. I ran as fast as I could, dodging students as the filled up the sidewalk more and more densely as they came out from their classes. I turned my head as I was running for a moment and saw that Alice, Jasper, and Emmet were close behind me, struggling to run at a human pace so they would not be found out.

I was about to be tugged down by a cold hand, but I jerked to the left and ran through a heavy crowd of students and lost Emmet as he was forced to slow so he wouldn't kill anyone by running into them. I jumped up onto the retaining wall that ran along the stairs down to the parking lot and as Alice and Jasper were about to pin me from each side I grabbed onto another students backpack and swung around and bolted straight for the sun!

There was a thin line differentiating shade from light and as I crossed the threshold into the warmth I knew I was home safe. I made sure I was into the sun far enough that they couldn't reach me. I turned and panted very mildly as they glared at me. Alice looked very very angry. I shrugged and mouthed, 'I am sorry' at her.

"Come back here now if you know what is good for you!" she threatened. I looked up and saw the wide-open space of blue sky above me. I couldn't stand here long before the wind blew the clouds in again. The school was mostly in shade, but the sunlight spread over the street and into town it looked like. Just then, Seth appeared on a ragged, old motorbike that looked like a hunk of tin and rubber. I gulped as I made my decision.

"You only live once, right?" I hollered from the sunny side. My super siblings all stayed back. _'Such a shame they can't step out and show off their sparkles!' _I thought. Vampires were so beautiful in the sunlight. They were still beautiful now, seething with anger, however the term 'sparkle' was not fitting for how they were feeling towards me. I saw Jasper twitch as Emmet balled his fist. I gave them an apologetic shrug and ran to Seth. _'It is not in my control. I have to do this!'_ I rationalized. I flung myself onto the seat behind Seth on the tiny bike. He took off his helmet and passed it to me.

"Hey!" He said with surprise as I shoved the heavy helmet on and snapped the chinstrap closed.

"Hey! Let's go!"

"Are you sure?" he questioned me. The expressions on my sibling's faces were frightening, he could see that I was crossing a line.

"Ya. We need to sort some things out in private," I told him, grabbing onto him. I had never been on a motorbike before. I didn't even know Seth knew how to ride one. _'Surly this was illegal! If I die from this thing my family will kill me!_ _Well…that makes no sense! They won't have to kill me if I am already dead!'_ And with that thought I moved in closer to Seth, straddling the bike and hugging him with a tight grasp.

"Okay…" he agreed unsurely. The engine roared pitifully and the bike jolted forward and her turned around, getting very close to the shaded side of the lot.

"Oh, and stay in the sun please," I told him sweetly. The back of his head shot back a tiny bit. I knew he was confused by my request, but he obeyed and we drove off into the sunlit street.

I wrapped my arms around his waist even tighter and nestled into his hot body. _'He is getting so strong!' _I noticed as we headed to La Push. _'Good! We need to be alone to have this chat!'_ I knew it was wrong. I knew I was going to be in so much trouble when I got home, but I didn't care. They had driven me to this extreme. I had not been allowed out in a month and this was important. I had to talk to Seth! I wanted him back!

*

*

*

We rode into La Push and past his school and deep into the town. His house was tiny, but neatly appointed on the outside as well as in. His dad was at work and his sister, Leah, was at school. I wasn't sure where his mother was, but there was no car in the driveway, so I assumed we had the house to ourselves. When we pulled up into the driveway, he held out his hand to help me off.

"Here," I said, passing him back the helmet and fluffing my hair with my hand. I worked hard to get volume in my hair and this morning's hard work had just been squashed. _'Ugh…major helmet head. Not attractive! He might not want to take you back when he sees this!'_ I told myself mentally. He took the helmet and hung it on the handle bar before stepping off the bike himself, not noticing or caring that my hair was a flop.

"Would you like to come inside?" He asked me, unsure of my intentions.

"Yes, I would," I told him and followed him into the house. He held the door for me and I removed my shoes at the door. We stood there in the foyer for a moment.

"So…you are not mad?" he asked with a timid, shyness I rarely saw in him. It made his face seem so gentle and childlike, in spite of how manly he had become over the last few months since Christmas. _'How could I be upset with a face like that?'_

"No," I said straight out, "I was…but I am not anymore,"

"Oh, okay…" he mumbled, he looked away from me. I glanced around the room to make sure we were alone. I had never been to his home before, but I had seen it in a few visions I had snuck of him playing with his sister as a child and he and his family at the dinner table. I liked to watch him and how loving their family was to one another._ 'Except Leah...Leah was a bit bitchy,'_ I decided without never having met her. I felt comfortable in the home, like I had been here before. I knew which room was his.

I took his hand, knowing that he was holding back his secret from me.

"I know why you ran. I know why you tried to stay away," I began. He carefully pulled his hand out from mine, ashamed.

"You couldn't possibly know. It is …It is too big.... Too much!" he stuttered, not wanting to say the words.

"Seth…I would rather you tell me than me have to say it out loud," I offered him. _'Just say it! Werewolf!'_

"I am not going tell you, Silver. You will run. You should run, if you know what is good for you…" he trailed off and got quiet again. I took his hand again and this time wouldn't let him pull away. When he got frustrated by my firm grip his eyes met mine.

"I have a secret too," I admitted. Our eyes didn't part. I don't think I was even blinking. _'I might as well tell him. I protest to love him, to trust him, and I have yet to tell him about my little talent,'_ I wrestled with confessing my gift to him. My instincts took over and I decided to share.

"I can see the past!"

There was a long silence and he was the one not blinking now. I tilted my head to see if she might react somehow.

"Seth?" I asked.

"You can see the past? What is that supposed to mean?" he scrunched up his face.

"It means just that. I can see the past," I confirmed. _'Damn! It does sound ridiculous out loud! I hate that!'_

"Silver, are you ill?" he asked me, "Do you have a fever?" He reached for my head to check, but I slapped his free hand away. I clung tightly to his other.

"No! I am not insane, Seth! I can show you what I mean!" I exclaimed and immediately, before his hand could leave mine, slipped into a collage of my favorite memories of our past together. The same replay I daydreamed in class this morning. They were in reverse order this time.

First we were making out under the tree on La Push Beach, then we were playing Frisbee, next our second kiss, and last but not least…our first kiss in the snow on Christmas morning. The vision ended on one finale note. It was I in my fuzzy bunny slippers and he latching the crescent moon necklace around my neck.

"Wow!" he gasped loudly and stepped back as I released his hand. I was holding my necklace in place on my chest with other hand the whole time. Seth looked a bit shocked, but not freaked out. Which was a good thing. I didn't want him to be freaked out.

"I know. It is a big share," I admitted.

"How did you do that?" he asked, coming towards me again with eager eyes. It made me smile that he was interested rather than afraid.

"I don't know. I have always been able to. I keep getting better at it. It wasn't until a few years ago that we discovered we could share our visions with others by physical contact,"

"We?"

"Uh…ya. Devan is…gifted in this area too…sort of," I tried to lie, but the truth was wanting to come out so I let it in broken speech to soften it's shock value. "She can see the future,"

"Really?" Seth asked, a very slight, hint of a smile was emerging from the edges of his mouth. I nodded.

"It runs in the family I guess. Alice sees the future too," I said, and then slapped my hand over my mouth. It was one thing to reveal ones own secret, but Alice's too! Telling him about Devan was bad enough. I stopped and decided to cut off my sharing for the day.

"Wow! That is…wow! I can't believe it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid you wouldn't understand. I was afraid if you knew you wouldn't want to be with me anymore," I told him hoping he would take the hint and tell his secret. _'Surely he knows I would love him even if he was a werewolf,'_ I thought pragmatically.

"That is absurd. I would never leave you," he said lovingly. He then retracted a bit, sensing he said too much. I smiled and leaned into him.

"You can tell me, I will not to run from you," I promised, "And you do not have to run from me,"

"I am so sorry, Silver," he started to apologize. I shook my head.

"You don't have to apologize. I know that what you are going through is major and life changing! I just want you to feel safe admitting it to me. Trust in me. I am not afraid of you, Seth!"

"You wouldn't be saying that if-"

"I know what you are Seth! You just need to say it!" I interrupted him. He staggered back. I could feel the heat radiating off him. He was glistening with sweat. I wasn't sure if it was nerves or because he was so warm. _'Werewolves temperature is a lot higher then a humans'_ I remembered something that Carlisle as told me.

"Silver, you don't want to know!"

"I already know and I love you!" I yelled at him for being so much more stubborn that I thought he was. _'Why can't he just say it? Say it! Say you are a …'_

"Werewolf," he breathed heavily in one swift outburst. He turned away in shame.

"Seth…" I whispered as I stepped up behind him and touched him gently. "I love you,"

And that is when I knew it. I didn't need to see the future to know that Seth and I would be together forever. He slowly turned around to face me. His hands graced up my sides, my back, up my neck, and then into my hair. I had a hard time catching my breath. For the first time in my life, my knees gave way, but he was right there to hold me up. We took one hard look at each other. Passion overwhelmed us as our lips embraced roughly, but with no pain. I felt only warmth and comfort in his arms.

This was definitely worth fighting for!

*

*

*

Heaven only knows how long we were tangled together in our romantic lip lock. Time seemed to disappear when I was with Seth. It was sometime in the late afternoon, for sure. Sadly, his phone rang and we had to break off of one another. Whoever it was left a voice message for him.

"It's my mom," he said, his voice slightly panicked as he keyed his password into his phone as the voicemail prompter directed him. Then he pressed the phone to his ear to listen to the message.

"Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Shoot! I was supposed to pick up a few things at the store for dinner! I completely forgot. She is going to be super pissed when she get's home," Seth worried. Sue Clearwater didn't seem like she would be a tyrant from the visions I had seen of her, but I smiled picturing him being scolded by his mother.

"Oh! You'd better go then," I suggested, getting up off the sofa and straightening my silk camisole and black jeans. **(Check out Silver's outfit at my profile)**

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Ya. I need to get home before it gets dark anyway,"

"I'll drive you,"

"No, thanks. I am not getting on that bike again until we get proper helmets. And you get a proper bike!" I teased and grabbed my bag at the door and slipped on my shoes. He laughed too. The state of that motorbike was pathetic. It was some junk piece Jacob had lent him.

"I will walk you then!" he offered.

"No, you have to get to the store. I can walk. It isn't even raining!"

"That is rare," he spouted a laugh.

"Ya…so I am going to soak it all up and enjoy a fresh walk home," I said, noticing my not so clever pun, "I want to walk, it will give me time to process everything we talked about,"

"Silver," Seth went quiet again. We had already decided to stay together and keep each other's secrets.

"My mind is made up!" I told him firmly, once last time, "It is up to you now," I stepped out the door and started to walk down the driveway. I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe smiling softly at me.

"I love you, Silver," he said.

"I love you, Seth Clearwater!" I replied in a sing-song voice and I twirled around a few times before settling my eyes on my path back to town.

*

*

*

I skipped along the trail to the main road. I couldn't feel my feet. I was flying. The relief I felt from making up and making out with Seth this afternoon put me in such a high that I wasn't worried about the repercussions I was soon to face at home. Surely, there was going to be some harsh words waiting for me.

Still, I didn't let that knowledge weigh me down. I floated along, humming as I went. I felt like a cartoon princess about to break into song. I half wondered if I did sing out loud if the birds and squirrels would follow me home. I was that clouded by love. The chirping melody of the birds above me in the trees as they sang back and forth to their mates made the walk all the more enjoyable.

I found my soul mate in Seth. My love bird….. _'My Lobster!'_ I thought, remembering an episode of 'Friends' where they explained that lobsters mated for life. I could see our hands clawed together as I daydreamed. _'Ok, lobster is a bit cheesy of an analogy!'_ I decided and changed my train of thought. _'No need to go overboard, Silver,' _I attempted to tame my joy.

The sounds of my shoes cracking tiny splinters of wood all of a sudden stood out to my ears. I could hear my humming more clearly and I stopped for a moment to listen. _'Wow…is that my heart beating?'_ I wondered, hearing a slight lub dub sound coming from inside me. The forest had become so quiet you could of heard a pin drop. There were no more bird songs, no more rustling of leaves. It was dead silent!

"Perceptive, little girl," a raspy, velvet voice cooed from behind my ear chilling me to the bone with fear.

I froze.

"The animals don't really flock to our kind much," the same voice teased, "Pity, really. Although, they are not the ones we crave,"

"Nothing better than to be in love," another, more feminine voice lulled from the right of me. They were very fast. I gulped back a lump of spit I was holding in my throat and turned abruptly to face my fear.

"Leave me alone!" I tried to roar, but it came out weak and whimpered as I faced two pale beings with dark red eyes. I knew immediately from visions I had snooped in of my family members what they were. Vampires! Blood thirsty, vampires.

I had never met another vampire before. Carlisle said they kept under the radar and only attacked the most vulnerable. _'Oh shit!' _I heaved a terrified breath.

I took a step to run, but arms gripped me and threw me down hard into the earth and I skidded backwards into a tree. The wind was knocked out from me momentarily. I tried to gather my thoughts to formulate a plan to get out of this mess, but I knew it was hopeless.

"You will not be going anywhere," the male insisted. I wanted to look away from his filthy appearance, but I couldn't. His dark eyes pierced trough my like he had already tasted my blood. I was too frightened to even scream.

"This one is very sweet looking, James," the female stepped forward and grabbed my face with one of her hands. Her long, jagged points for fingernails clawed into my face. I dared not move. She examined me closely for a moment; her eyes big and round with hunger and a powerful pout on her lips as she taunted my life in front of me. For any moment she could snap my neck like a twig if she wanted to. I was at her mercy.

She was just a dirty as her partner, but twice as alluring. Her red hair was a massive mane, filled with twigs and leaves. She looked like one of those models that was done up to walk a new age, jungle catwalk, the theme was raw and untamed. I shivered as she released me and licked her lips very subtly.

"She smells even sweeter than she looks if you ask me," James agreed.

"Shall we? I am bored of her already. She isn't even attempting to put up a fight!" the woman pouted and let my face go with a violent shock of force. I reached up to grab my face, the anger beginning to well up inside me.

"Why would I? I am no match for you! You, evil, loathsome beast!" I yelled, my fear swallowed back and my strength returning.

"Ah…there we go! I knew you were a feisty one," James circled me as I stood up and regained my balance. _'If I am going to die, I am not doing to die afraid!_' I was determined as I scowled at the two of them.

"I like them feisty!"

"Victoria…" James revealed her name in a gentlemanly demeanor, even though his actions proved otherwise.

"Ladies first," he said, holding out his hand to me in offering. The pause was brief, but I had enough time to realize I was doomed.

Her eyes grew wide with greed and she stepped forward and took hold of me.

*

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To be continued…..

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**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	28. Aching

Chapter 28 - Aching

Devan's POV:

**The same day….**

"She did what?" Esme asked, her voice rose to a higher octave than usual. I was still coming up the spiral staircase when I joined she and Alice upstairs in the living room. Flowers were splayed all over the marble counter tops, in the midst of being arranged in large vases. I was the last one in from outside as usual. The others all took off in opposite directions so fast I felt a tiny bit insulted. Alice had raced to Esme so I missed the initial telling of Silver's grand escape story.

"I can't see her. She must have gone to La Push with Seth," Alice explained. Her pretty face was wracked with guilt.

"Oh dear," Esme's voice wept.

"I should have seen this coming. I should have tried to stop her!" Alice blamed herself.

"It is not your fault, Alice," I spoke up. They slowly turned to me, but my words had not smoothed the situation. A wave of nausea swept over me. I clutched onto the top of the sofa to steady myself.

"I am going to call Carlisle. Maybe he has heard from Silver," Esme decided and she flew over to the cordless phone hooked onto the kitchen wall and picked it up. Alice was hugging herself nervously; her body was fidgeting like Silver hopped up on ice cream.

"I mean it. This is not your fault," I told Alice. She gave me a pathetic smile. _'What the hell was Silver thinking? She is going to be grounded for life!'_ I thought. I rubbed my temple with be base of my palm. I had had a slight headache all day. I may have over done it with the studying for the aptitude test. Hardly anything I had prepared for was applicable to the multiple-choice questions that were on the test.

"Carlisle hasn't heard from her, he is finding someone to cover the rest of his shift. He will be home as soon as he can," Esme returned to us with the update. I dropped my hand from my head and folded my arms across my chest. _'Damn it, Silver! Way to inflict chaos and panic into everyone's lives…and over a boy! No, not just a boy…. A werewolf!' _I sighed, but them my mood shifted. I was being unreasonable. How could I really be hard on my sister? She was in love. And I knew how hard it was when you loved someone and you couldn't be near them.

"Don't worry. She will be fine," I offered my opinion as comfort. I trusted Silver to know Seth well enough to stay safe when she was with him.

"I am sure you are right, darling," Esme nodded and with a plastered on smile she went back to work organizing flower arrangements.

"Seth is a good guy," I added, looking to Alice who was still visibly upset.

"I shouldn't have been so strict with her. She would never have run away if I had of just let her speak to Seth on the grounds. I was too controlling," Alice punished herself. Jasper showed up behind her and held her.

"You were only looking out for her. Doing what Carlisle and I thought was best. Silver should have known better than to take off to La Push. After all the warning's we have given her. I can't believe she would be so..soo…" Esme ranted, in a soft voice.

"Stupid," Jasper finished off Esme's sentence. I was sure that that was not what Esme would have said, but it fit the bill under these circumstances. Alice couldn't see us when we were with a werewolf or on Quileute land. It bothered Alice when she lost her sight.

"Silver is not very good at being pent up. This past month has been way harder for her to live up to than I. Even if you hadn't been hard on her today, Alice, she would have ran off sooner or later," I suggested. _'I know my sister. This is not the first time she acts on a whim without considering the consequences,'_

"She is still so young. She doesn't understand the dangers of our world," Esme attempted to sooth Alice. I gulped back a lump in my throat and dropped my head. I didn't like when Silver was in the wrong. I always felt like I was part to blame for some reason. I felt like I should be sticking up for her.

"Well, I just hope that Seth is able to control himself around her," Alice whimpered.

I tried to imagine Seth as a werewolf, but it didn't seem to materialize into a clear picture in my mind. The concept was still hard to grasp and I was used to seeing him as he was.

"Silver may be impulsive, but she is a very good judge of character," I defended. All heads in the room swiveled to me. "I mean, she knew from the moment she saw you, Alice, that we were meant to find you. Don't you remember how sure she was? I was scared stiff for weeks when we moved out here, but Silver knew you all before we decided to stay. She loved you the very next day!"

"That is true. She did make herself at home very quickly," Alice smiled, remembering how we first came to Forks.

Emse's face broke into a warm smile and added, "Do you remember how she hugged you not a moment after finding out you were a vampire?"

Alice closed her eyes and nodded, with a grin on her face.

"Not the typical reaction we are used to," Jasper included with a quick chuckle.

"Or maybe it is because she knew that Alice was not dangerous," I justified, "Silver is not stupid! Well...sometimes she makes stupid decisions...but she owns her gift of sight,"

"True. She does seem to know who is being honest and who isn't," Jasper softened.

"And she isn't shy to go snooping. She already knows Seth like the back of her hand. You have to trust her when she tells us that he is a good person," I spoke clearly, proud that I was sticking up for Silver. I was generally less outgoing, but since I could not fight for my love, I intended to help Silver fight for hers! _'Why should be both suffer?'_ I thought selflessly. "I trust Seth!" I added sharply.

"You are probably correct, dear. We should have faith that Silver is taking precautions to stay safe," Esme sided with me slightly. Alice sighed and leaned her head back into Jasper's chest. He tilted his head and hovered about an inch from the pointed spikes of hair sticking up from Alice's head.

"She doesn't have a death wish," I mumbled, as I winced a put my hand to my temple again. The pain was become more pronounced now and it had spread to the top center of my head as well as my temple.

"Devan?" Esme asked softly, placing her hand on my shoulder. I sighed, releasing my head and looking up to her.

"I am really tired. I am going to go lay down for a while," I told her. She nodded and her hand slid carefully off my shoulder and down my arm until she was no longer touching me. All this stress over Silver was putting too much tension on the family. It was making me ill.

*

*

*

I went to my bedroom and slumped down on my bed. My head was pounded from the drop. _'Ow'_ I moaned and pulled my pillow over my head. I needed rest, badly. And the stress of Silver taking off was not helping matters.

I stayed as still as I could, with the pillow over my head to block the light of day. The pain was so bad, that I pinched my arm in desperation._ 'Maybe if I focus on my arm hurting, my head will be less noticeable,'_ I decided. It worked for a moment or so, but another shooting pain jut through my head.

I rolled over and curled my legs up. _'Holy Hell!'_ This was the worst headache I had ever had. I felt nauseated. My head was heavy and even with my eyes closed. I could see swirls of darkness moving around, making me dizzy. It was like I was falling down, but I was already lying on my bed. There was nowhere lower to go, but the floor. _'How can darkness spin?'_ I wondered helplessly.

With nothing to do but writhe in excruciating pain, I decided to give the cool floor a try. I rolled off the bed, talking my pillow with my head and flopped down by the edge of my bed. For a moment I felt better. The solid hardness of the hardwood beneath me was still and comforting. Then I gasped as another bolt of sheer agony ripped through my head.

I cringed as my mind flashed to Silver and Seth in the middle of a heated conversation.

'I can see the past' Silver told him. 'Devan is gifted in that area too' she included_. 'Good going, Silver. Way to tell him all our family secrets!' _I winced in pain as I mentally scolded my sister. 'I know what you are Seth! You just need to say it!' Silver coerced him to say it.

'Werewolf!' The words came out of Seth's mouth and in a split of a second I was back on my bedroom floor shivering.

Cool hands were holding me.

"Devan?!" I heard my favorite voice in the world call my name. I dared not open my eyes. I didn't want to see him there. His mocking smirk still haunted me. _'Go away!'_ I wanted to scream.

"Edward, let me by," Carlisle's calm tone washed over the room. I felt a tiny bit better already because of how organized and unbaffled Carlisle was when it came to any given situation. Plus, as much as I hated to be fawned over, I was in a desperate state. I wanted him to make this pain go away.

"He admitted it. Silver sees the past and he told her the truth too. Didn't hurt her. No. He told her," I mumbled incoherently, trying to share my vision with him_. 'What? That made no sense,'_ I realized as I said the words. And I could tell they all felt the same way about my account of what happened._ 'They probably think I have lost my marbles!' _

"Devan, what happened? Did you fall? Did you bump your head? Tell me where you are hurting?" Carlisle asked me softly. I shook my head as he went through a list of questions. His ice-cold hands were on my shoulders.

"No…my head," I grunted as he pried the pillow from my fists. I covered my face with my hand to shield the light.

"You hit your head?"

"No!" I moaned. I didn't seem to have to power to speak. I wanted to explain, but I couldn't. My mind was settled on the ragging ache in my head. His cold palm checked for fever on my brow and I reached up and held his hand in place. It was like instant relief.

"Her temperature is normal," he told whomever was in the room, which was probably the whole household by this time.

"You hand feels amazing!" I sighed. I opened my eyes carefully_. 'Yup! They're all here. How lovely,'_ I thought sarcastically as 7 vampires all peered down at me. Carlisle on my left side and Edward by my head. The others were hovering around me in near perfect stillness.

"Devan, is it only your head that is troubling you?"

"Ya…" I gasped, "It is, like... the worst headache EVER!"

"I think it is a migraine, dear," he informed me with sympathetic eyes. _'He can't possibly know what this feels like. None of them can,'_ I thought. And yet, he was so empathetic, it was like he knew. He cared so much.

"Why is it happening?" I asked him.

"It is most likely brought on by stress. Or lack of sleep. Perhaps something you ate. Or didn't eat," he said, looking at me for reaction. _'I ate just fine today!'_ They were always on my back for my eating habits. I had a bad habit of skipping meals or eating at odd hours. _'It is not my fault I can't eat when I am upset!'_ I stubbornly thought. The idea of food right now turned my stomach.

"Can you make it go away?" I begged. I heard him sigh and take his hand off my head. I wanted it back immediately. The coolness had really helped calm the throbbing pain. The nausea, however, was still present.

"I am going to try," he told me serenely. I tried to match his comforting smile with a grateful one, but it didn't work.

"Alice-" he began, Esme cut him off.

"She's already left,"

"Here!" Alice breathed as she zipped back into the room and handed Carlisle his black, leather bag and a clear plastic bag filled with saline. She didn't have to ask or be told. She just knew what he planned to do. I would have been reassured, but what she said next told me I was in for one of my least favorite activities.

"Come on Jasper, let's go for a run, okay?" she then said, ushering her husband from the room_._

'_Oh crap! He is going to break skin!'_ I knew it from the exiting of everyone in the room and the tubing Carlisle was unwrapping from a sterile package. I shut my eyes to avoid glancing at the huge needle he surely planned to insert into a vein in my arm. I felt him swab something cool over the site.

I hated needles. Especially large ones. IV's were the worst because the stayed in the vein for longer then just a few seconds. I closed my eyes.

"Rosalie, would you please see if there is an ice pack in the freezer for Devan's head?" Carlisle spoke in a low voice as his hand steadied my arm.

"No need, Rose," Edward was answering her. He was still knelt down by my head. I felt a hand gentle press to my forehead and the other one behind my base of my skull and neck. I looked up at him and showed appreciation with a smile. He returned the gesture with complete sincerity written on his gorgeous face. _'And….Swoon'_ I sighed, distracted by his presence.

Then I felt the hot pinch of the needle poking me and I squeezed my eyelids down and held my breath as Carlisle quickly slid the tiny, hollow cannula in and the sharp need base out of my hand. I felt him fiddling with my arm and taping something in place. _'He is very good,' _I noted. It had not been painful at all compared to the pain in my head. I had just anticipated it to be worse than it actually was. I opened my eyes and Edward's were still fixed firming on mine.

"All done," Carlisle offered me reassurance. I didn't want to loose my eye contact with Edward. "I am going to going to start a drip to get some more fluids into you. That will help some. And also, if you would like, I can give you a small dose of morphine for the pain," I heard every word he said, but Edward was not going to win this staring contest. I was stronger than that even with this migraine plaguing me!

"Devan?" Edward lips moved in sequence to my name, "Are you listening?"

"Uh huh…" I muttered, dazzled by Edward, but my behavior read as dopey. He chuckled at my state and his eyes finally broke from mine as he looked up to Carlisle. _'Yes! I win! You hold no power over me Edward Cullen!'_

I couldn't believe how much better it felt to have him hold me. I knew it was because of his cool hands, but I wanted to believe it was having him in near that made the pain stop. My head still ached, but all the anguish that I had been feeling over the last month was gone with him holding on to me now. _'I forgive you'_ I decided in the moment. _'I still love you,'_

*

*

*

They wanted to transfer me to my bed, but I insisted on staying where I was on the cool, hard floor. So there I stayed for what seemed like forever, with Edwards still caressing my head with his forever cool hands. The problem was that the migraine was causing me to feeling like I was on the verge of being sick. I couldn't shake the nauseous feeling.

Carlisle decided to give me some morphine so I could rest better. And it did help. I managed to drift into sleep by some miracle. I think they wanted to drug me to get me off the ground. For, when I awoke next I was covered up and propped neatly on a pillow in my bed.

I did not wake gently.

'The animals don't really flock to our kind much,' a man with pale, white skin and hair so greasy with filth I couldn't make out its color said. He was circling prey. I could see Silver lying on the damp, forest soil, looking up at him with a powerful fearless stare. His eyes were brilliant red! A vampire! 'Pity, really. They are not the ones we crave,' His violent red eyes were stabbing at me through my vision as I saw his accomplice hungrily seize Silver and claw her into a tight hold. Silver spat in her face forcefully, and then sharp teeth appeared and tempers flared! I was transported back to the present with a rippling scream!

I sprang up in bed and lurched forward, trying to put together what I had just seen. Edward moved to my side in an instant.

"Devan!" he cried out, pushing my hair back out of my face. The room filled fast with others who must have heard my fright. I tried to speak.

"Sil-ver," I hoarsely whispered and I struggled to catch my breath. I could feel a hard lump in my chest. It rose up to my head and escaped through my eyes in the form of tears. Hot, sticky tears fell onto my arm and legs that I was leaning over.

"Oh dear!" Esme cried out in fear.

"What is it? What do you see?" Alice asked, crouching down in beside me. She couldn't see Silver on Quileute land...but I could! I tried to speak. She took my head in her hands and made me look at her. Her eyes pleaded for me to pull myself together.

"Sh-she …and…the…with…" I stuttered out an incoherent string of babble.

"Oh no," "Is she hurt?" "Where?" "What is happening?" "Is she alone?" A tide of questions flooded towards me. I couldn't clearly hear where they were coming from or decided how to answer. I was silent. No air was coming in or out. I was just still.

"Devan, breathe,"

"What should we do?" "We don't know where she is," "Let's just go looking for her!" "She is on Quileute land. We can't!"

"Breathe, just breathe,"

"I..I…" I couldn't manage to get anything out. Another vision hit my and I reached up to grab hold of my head. There was pain. Intense pain. I couldn't make out what was happening. A flash of dark clouded my sight as Silver went flying to the ground and she scurried herself out of the way. She was clutching something tightly in her hand and her mouth was watching in shock as a tangle of 3 bodies wrestled it out in front of her. One was a scruffy beast with light sandy fur. _'Seth'_ I realized.

"Devan, please! Take a breath," Edward was right there now, attempting to control me. All I could see was his face. I clung to him wildly, my once tamed headache now pounded so loudly I could only hear fuzz. "Seth is…were-wolf," were my last breathes. Edward's face began to fade. Tiny, white spots appeared before the darkness.

*

*

*

This was peaceful. Darkness, I mean. There was no more pain. No more feeling. I was just blissfully aware of darkness.

As I lay there, the sounds of the world around me slowly began to return to me. I was relieved to find that a lot of my pain was gone. I was breathing again and felt just as serene as when I had found the dark.

"Is she coming to?"

"Is there any way to hurry her along? If Silver is in trouble we need to act on it before it is too late. She saw it. He is a werewolf! We have no idea how far in the future Devan was seeing,"

"We have to be patient. She will wake when she is ready,"

"Jasper and Emmet are already out searching for Seth,"

Just as I was beginning to enter reality, I was thrown into the future again. Silver ran up to me and threw her arms around me, still grasping something in her hand. She was covered in dirt and a bit scraped up, but she seemed relatively uninjured. Seth was behind her, standing tall and shirtless, leaning on a rusty heap of metal that I think was supposed to pass as a motorbike. From the way my arms were wrapped round her neck I could see the time on my watch. 5:01pm. Then, before the relief and hugs could come to celebrate Silver's homecoming. Emmet and Jasper sprang out and took Seth down. His bare back, scrapping the gravel driveway as they skidded. It was a mass of growling, hissing, and roars. Seth didn't fight back. They were tearing him to pieces!

I snapped my eyes open. The ceiling was a soft grey. The lights were out, but the daylight still brightened the room enough to see. _'Seth saved her. He fought off the vampires and saved her! She is coming home!'_ I realized. My visions all became understandable as I woke. It hit me that Jasper and Emmet were on a mission to find Seth and attack. I knew what I needed to do. I had to stop my brothers from killing Seth. He was innocent!

'_No!'_ I breathed and set my self up in one fluid movement. I was alone. _'Where is everyone?'_

I looked around. There was a near empty bag of saline hanging above me. _'How long have I been out for?'_ I wondered. Then a wave of fear ran shivers through my spine._ 'Oh No! Silver!' _I panicked. The clock on the nightstand read 4:59pm.

In retrospect, pulling out the IV was not the best plan. With one swift rip, it all came tearing off, but it stung like hell and blood came pouring out of the hole left in my hand. I didn't care. I had to go to Silver. I had to warn Seth and tell the others about what I had seen. My feet hit the wood floor with a thump and I ran for the door. I ran into Edward on the way out.

"Devan!"

"I have to go, let me go!" I told him frantically.

"Devan, you're bleeding,"

"It doesn't matter. Come on!" I protested his intent to hold me still. "Silver will be here any minute!!" I yelled at him. My eyes burned and I made sure Edward knew how serious I was about this. He let me go, I nearly stumbled from the release. I made it down the staircase and to the front door. I wasn't sure where everyone was. Only Carlisle and Esme joined Edward and I in the foyer.

"Devan…"

"We have to stop Jasper and Emmet!" I practically screamed as I shook the door handle violently to get it to open. Edward stepped behind me and assisted me by taking over and thrusting the door open.

"Devan!" Esme called to me as I ran down to the driveway, my feet bare and prickly from the icy cold cement.

"She is coming. I saw her come home. Any moment now!" I heaved out sentence after sentence. Edward stood beside me in support. I was pleased that he was protective, but not so much so that he was trying to stop me.

"So, Seth…"

"He saved her! He fought them off!" I completed Edward's sentence. My voice was calm.

"Whom did he fight off?" Edward asked, his voice sharp with surprise. I realized that they had no clue what I was talking about. I had forgotten that only I had witnessed my visions. It had all seemed so real.

"Vampires," I said. I heard Esme gasp and then give a whimper of fear. Carlisle was trying to reassure her to be positive. "There were two of them. They attacked her in the forest,"

"Is she hurt?" I heard Carlisle ask. I shook my head, but didn't break my gaze off at the end of the driveway.

"No, I don't think so. Not badly, if she is," I clearly stated. Carlisle handed something white to Edward and then I felt Edward wrap it around my bleeding hand and tie it snug. I kept searching for Silver to come home. Then Edward, Carlisle, and Esme moved forward. They saw something that I couldn't see.

"It's her, right? It has to be. It is…" I shrieked in a high voice, looking at my watch. _'5:01pm! Right on time!' _The sounds of chocking smoke and clanging become more present to my ears as a small dot drove along the drive towards us. The dot emerged into Seth and Silver on the back of his bike. They stopped 20 feet away and Silver pushed up the helmet she had on and it fell to the ground with a loud crack as she jumped off the bike and rang towards me. I ran out to meet her halfway. We nearly took each other down as we crashed into each other.

'_Déjà vu!'_ I thought as we embraced. My watch still reading 5:01pm before it promptly changed to 5:02pm.

Silver was covered in dirt, but she seemed to be intact. After a few seconds we both came to realize that all eyes were on us and we parted. I felt a heat rise within me as she stared back at me. I whole handed her face so fast even I didn't see it coming. She surely hadn't expected it either! I could hear the slap sound echo and she reached up to hold her cheek. She looked completely stunned.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!" I screamed at her as a statement rather than a question. Edward moved up close behind me to steady me. I was half expecting to be scolded for hitting her, but no one said a word.

"Are you stupid? Running away with a werewolf... really?!!! Then walking home through the dense forest alone? We were all so worried! Don't you think about anyone but your self?" I continued to berate her. Her eyes were wide and she sucked on her bottom lip.

"I…I am sorry," Silver muttered, her face was apologetic. I felt guilty immediately. After all, she had just nearly been killed in a very horrifying manner. She must have been very scared and here I was making her feel worse. I softened my expression and gulped back my anger.

"I was just so worried!" I explained in a quite, less ferocious tone, "I saw them attack… How the hell did you not…" I began. I didn't want to say 'die…or be killed'! The words were too frightening to say out loud.

"It all happened so fast," she spoke back, "Seth showed up right before that red headed whore was about to bite me!" she spit out. Silver threw her hand down from her now pinked cheek. The other hand was still holding on what looked like a lock of red hair.

"Is that hair?" I asked, interested at the idea.

"Ya. I just grabbed a hold and when Seth showed up and tore her away from me I didn't think to let go. I thought I would hold on to it," Silver said with a shrug, waving the tangled hair a bit.

"Nice!" I laughed. It was not really the moment for laughter, but I was slightly amused that Silver put up a fight with a vampire.

"It was rather pathetic really. They were so much stronger than me. But....I just couldn't die without trying to fight back!" she said firmly. Edward choked on a laugh.

"I can't believe you spit on her!" I blurted out, remembering my vision.

"Oh, ya!" she said happily, her face breaking out in a nostalgic grin. She was obviously proud of that move.

"You are a foolish girl," Edward told her. I rolled my eyes at him._ 'He is right, though' _I agreed to myself, but I was still slightly proud of Silver for not backing down in the face of danger.

"Silver, darling…are you hurt?" Esme asked her, approaching us carefully. Silver shook her head no. Carlisle stood up to exam her face and hands. They were scratched, but not too badly. I turned to look at Seth, who was not quite sure if he should come closer. I smiled and stepped towards him. Seth stood up tall as I continued to walk to over. He was surprised when I reached out to him with my unbandaged hand.

"Thank you," I whispered as I gave him a sturdy hug. He gently put his one hand on my back in return. "I knew Silver was right about you. You are a good guy,"

"I wouldn't let anything happen to her," he responded as I leaned back and looked up at him. He was worse off than Silver. He had jagged gashes along his collarbone and neck where blood was dried and crusted to his warm, dark skin. I gasped in horror as I noticed his open wounds.

Just then Jasper and Emmet came rushing in at warp speed, teeth barred and growling as they surrounded Seth and I. Seth protectively stepped in front of me to shield me from my brothers. Jasper crouched and was about to spring for Seth, but I jumped out and help out my hands.

"Stop!"

"Move, Devan!" Emmet cautioned me.

"No, I was wrong. You have it all wrong,"

"He is a werewolf! He had Silver!" Emmet growled, his body was shaking with anticipation to pounce. Jasper was not retreating either.

"Seth saved Silver," Edward joined Seth and I on our side. He stood beside me and stared down our brothers.

"Back down," Carlisle warned from afar. He and Esme were protecting Silver as Edward took care of my safety. Rosalie and Alice were present now too, keeping an eye on us from the sidelines.

"What?" Jasper hissed, not changing his body position. He kept his eyes on Seth, who was very passively standing his ground.

"I don't want to fight," Seth offered. "I love your sister,"

"Please," Silver begged, trying to break free from Esme who was keeping her from running over to us.

"He is a wolf!" Jasper's voice scratched, stating fact.

"He doesn't want to fight. Back down, Jasper," Carlisle commanded calmly.

Finally Emmet and Jasper stood up straight and took a few heavy steps back, but they were not sure about Seth yet. Alice joined Jasper and reassured him he was doing the right thing. He seemed to relax to have her beside him.

I turned back to Seth and reached out to touch his arm. _'Silver is lucky to have him,'_ I decided. I turned to my family.

"Seth is hurt," I cried out. I was touched by Carlisle's immediate response to aid Seth. I shouldn't have been. I knew his compassion was limitless and not prejudice.

"I am fine, it is nothing," Seth announced, turning from Carlisle's hand. Seth's head jerked up like he had a sudden epiphany. He smelled the air and said, "You…you are a…"

"Yes," Carlisle acknowledged, nodding to Seth.

"All of you?" he asked, looking up to the rest of us. "I could smell it, but I thought that was just their scent left on me,"

"We are not like the other. I can assure you we mean no harm to any person," Carlisle explained.

"But Silver never…"

"I couldn't tell you. I didn't know how you would react," Silver told him, running up to us. Seth's brow furrowed as his processed his newfound knowledge of my family's status.

"And you are okay with this?" He asked Silver, no judgment in his voice whatsoever.

"Yes. I love them. They are my family," Silver told him, placing herself in his arms like that is where she belonged. He accepted her there and thought carefully for a moment. A calmness came across his face.

"Okay," he said to my sister in a neutral tone.

"Okay?" Silver repeated.

"You are always telling my such wonderful things about them. I trust you," He said.

I sighed with relief. _'Well...that was easy!'_

I looked around. Alice was beaming with joy that the outcome of this night had not ended in tragedy. Esme was overjoyed Silver was safe and seemed touched by Seth's easy approval of our family. Edward, Emmet and Jasper frowned, but didn't intercede. Rosalie was the only one who still appeared to want to rip Seth's head off, but she didn't make a move or say a single word. She was out numbered in her feeling.

"Thank you," Silver sighed, leaning into Seth for a moment. She then realized he was injured and insisted he let Carlisle take a look at him.

Seth did his best to argue with her, but she won over. She was always very persuasive and I could see that Seth loved her so much he would do anything to make her happy. He agreed to come inside and get cleaned up.

The group separated. Silver went inside with Seth and Carlisle. Esme insisted Seth must be starving from his exertions tonight and went to the kitchen to whip up a warm meal for him. He didn't protest. Silver told him what a great cook Esme was. I watched Rosalie and Emmet steal away to the garage and Alice took Jasper out hunting to calm him down.

That left Edward and I standing alone in the driveway. I suddenly realized how cold my feet were. Still bare, they were numb from standing on the wet pavement for so long. Edward took my hand and started to walk me to the house.

"Up you go," he said and with ease he swooped my up into his arms and he carried me in. I blushed, but this time I didn't tell him to put me down. I kind of liked being held by him right now. I felt that I deserved a reward for the rough evening I had. A lot had been accomplished. I saved Seth from being shredded apart, afterall! _'Silver so owes me one!'_

Edward brought me back up to my bed and placed my down gently and covered me up with a blanket.

*

*

*

I let Edward take care of me without complaint. He bandaged my hand up properly, scolding me profusely for the way I ripped out my intravenous in my hand. I couldn't help but grin slightly, like a naughty child who was pleased to have the attention. I promised not to do it again. I was being coy. It was kind of fun to act this way. A bit flirty.

His smirk was back. It no longer seemed to mock me. I had forgiven him for not returning my love a month ago in the ambulance. After all, I had sprung the news on him at an inconvenient time. I had just woken up from a concussion when I told him. _'It isn't his fault I blurted out those words,'_ I decided. It was unreasonable of me to be angry. I had never shown any other signs of my affection for him before that. _'How was he to know I felt that way about him?' _All there was to go on was my constant need to be near him and my involuntary blood rushes when he was near!

"How is your head feeling?"

"Good," I told him, smiling as he sat next to me on the bed.

"Any more pain?"

"Not at all," I lied pleasantly. I still felt a tiny bit dizzy and my head supported a dull ache. I tilted my head to gaze at him from a different angle. _'His face is perfectly proportioned,'_ I noticed. It brought the corners of my lips up.

"What are you thinking?" he asked of me with a tiny chuckle. I straightened up and lost my grin as he called attention to my obvious fawn over him. I played confused.

"Uh…nothing,"

"I am sure," he stated. He didn't believe me. His smile was faint, but still present.

_'Now is your chance, Devan. Just ask him!'_ I pushed myself to confront him about Bella. I had hated her for so long, but unreasonably. She was a nice enough girl. I only disliked her because of Edward's interest in her.

"Devan. I know you well enough to know when something is on your mind,"

"Oh?" I asked, losing some of my coyness in my fluster.

"Yes. Even though I can't read yours, I can see it in your eyes. You are holding something back. Keeping something from me," He slanted his head and looked at me like I had previously done to him. Viewing me in a new way.

"You are right!" I boldly stated. He nodded, but didn't untilt his head or break his eye contact with me.

"It is just…"

"I won't bite," he teased, sensing my apprehension.

"Pfft!" I scoffed. _'Here goes!' _"I want to know about Bella!"

"Bella?" he asked, now straightening up and losing his smile.

"Yes,"

"What about her?" he asked, uncomfortable over the topic.

"Well, you are attracted to her, right?" I brazenly asked him. _'Holy crap! I can't believe I am doing this!'_

"You could say that," he said.

"I could? You either are attracted to her or you are not," I confronted him.

"I am," he stated somberly.

"Oh," I uttered, my eyes looking down. _'Ouch,'_

"She is like a drug to me, Devan. I can't help but want her!" Edward seemed to beg for my understanding. I nodded, holding back my tears. I was being foolish to expect any other answer from him. I had already known that her scent was strong for him. Like nothing he had encountered before.

"She is very tempting to me. Surely, you can understand the difficulty of the situation?" Edward pleaded for me to understand. _'I wish I was temping enough for you,'_ I wept internally. I braved a small smile and faced him again with a nod. I needed to change the topic. I was about to become emotional if this conversation continued.

"What is going on? Are they very upset with Silver?" I asked, knowing he would be able to hear what was going on in the other part of the house.

"They haven't been too hard on her…yet," he started, "Seth is going to be fine. Carlisle has stitched him up and is reveling in the fact that he seems to be healing already,"

"Hm," I hummed, finding that interesting.

"And Seth mentioned that he was successful in destroying the male, but the female was able to escape," he told me.

I shivered at the thought of that vampire with fiery red hair and eyes to match being on the loose. She was what I had imagined a vampire to be like before meeting the Cullens. It was shocking to conclude that there were bad vampires out there. I had heard the stories, but since all I had to go on was my family, I had never really believed it.

"Apparently, the last words she spoke to Silver was that of impending revenge,"

I gasped in horror. I met his eyes. They were reassuring.

"Devan…I will protect you,"

"You will?" I weakly asked. _'Thank you, my love,'_

"For as long as I am immortal, you shall be safe," he vowed to me. I knew I was safe with him._ 'I love you, Edward Cullen,' _I heard the words proclaimed in my mind as we sat there facing each other, on my bed.

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**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	29. As It Should Be

Chapter 29 – As It Should Be

Silver's POV:

**June:**

Several months had passed since the attack. There was some initial concern for my mental well-being at the start. I was not all that upset about what had happened. It seemed clear to me. The vampires that attacked me were not like my family. They were hungry and powerful and I was live bait! I guess the family was expecting me to break out with post traumatic stress symptoms after the way the night went down, but I never did.

The safety measures taken in our family were now heightened to that of a maximum-security penitentiary. I had made matters worse…as usual. _'Why can't you think before you act, Silver?_' I would ask myself every time I wanted to go somewhere and was not allowed. _'Because that would be so boring!' _I answered myself. It was just who I was!

Not that I hadn't learned anything from my actions in April. I was far more aware of the dangers that lurked outside the safety of my home. I no longer took my family's unique diet for granted. I knew fully that other vampires were present today and were not as human friendly as the Cullens. I was very lucky that I had a family that cared for Devan and me and wanted to keep us safe.

I also had Seth. He was now on full alert as well! He patrolled the woods around my house on occasion to check for any signs of nomad vampires. The hunk of hair I had ripped from Victoria proved to come in handy. My family, as well as Seth and his pack, all knew the scent by heart so they could sniff for traces of her in the area. However, no traces of her scent had been picked up since that night in La Push.

Seth was furious with his 'Pack', as they called themselves, for not being there to aid him that night I was attacked. They were all out testing the range of their supernatural ability to communicate with one another mentally. _'Great timing!'_ I sarcastically snipped whenever Seth fumed over it. An actual chance for them to protect a human from the bad vampires and they had been nowhere to be found.

Not that some of his pack cared. The majority of them hated me after they realized what my family was. The blessing was the treaty they had to stand behind. If that wasn't in place our secret would be outed. Seth was troubled that his fellow lycanthrope buddies were not as open minded about me being in his life. They loathed vampires and anything to do with them. No matter how much Seth tried to reason with them that my family was different they were adamant that I was no good for Seth.

Jacob was the only one who sided with Seth and insisted their pack protect Devan and me. He was not trilled about it, but he was the pack leader and he felt that it was his duty to protect us from harm, no matter who our family was. That was a blessing. I had always liked Jacob. He was very noble and loyal to Seth as a friend.

His other pack brother's was less accommodating. They didn't want anything to do with my family or me. Paul threatened to kill us all and 'be done with it'! Seth was most angry with him. Out of the pack, Paul was the one who was the biggest threat.

Seth's sister, Leah, was still a bitch too. Although, now that I found out she was a werewolf herself, it gave new meaning to the word 'Bitch'! She had disliked me even before she knew my family's secret. I think she always suspected that the Cullen's were the same as in their tribe's legends, but since she now knew for sure they were the very same…she was downright loathsome of me. Seth had hardly spoken to her since he saved my life. I felt a bit guilty for breaking up his family.

Yet, our family seemed to remain strong and intact. Even, Jasper and Emmet, who had first wanted to rip Seth to smithereens, had come around to tolerating his presence. Emmet, not admitting it due to Rosalie's disgruntlement over Seth, actually enjoyed chatting about Hockey and other sports with my werewolf boyfriend. I was happy about their unlikely friendship, because Emmet was my big, goofy brother. I had the best brother/sister bond with him.

Alice had forgiven me for how I behaved that day at school when I fled from her and ran for sunshine. She and I laughed about it now. As horrible as I was for doing it, she was impressed that I had managed to escape from 3 vampires. She was back to her usual, positive, cheerful self and she welcomed Seth with open arms once she knew he had saved my life. I think she could tell that we were meant to be together. She wouldn't admit it to me, but I knew she could see Seth in my future.

Since I was grounded for the last 2 whole months for my general disregard for the rules set out for my own well-being and survival, I had not been able to see Seth a whole lot. But the exception had been Sunday afternoons after Seth had patrolled the woods all the way from La Push to our house. Esme insisted it was such a big job, that he should stop by before heading back home and refuel himself with a full course meal.

Esme prepared a gourmet style feast, fit for Kings, each and every Sunday. Esme had won Seth over just as Seth had won her approval. The first night he joined us for dinner, he brought her a beautifully selected collection of wildflowers. They were immediately sold on one another in spite of the apparent stench each one detected from the other.

I was amusing to me to watch all their noses crinkle up when Seth was near. Alice was very polite about it and tried to hide her dislike for 'werewolf cologne', as I liked to refer to it. I didn't understand the big deal. Seth smelled wonderful to me. Like puppy breath! It was so intoxicating and sweet. Something about it made me tingle as I inhaled. _'Everyone loves puppies, right?'_

*

*

*

"Oh good grief! It is Sunday again? I thought I smelt something foul!" Rosalie showed her displeasure when she entered the living room to find Seth, Devan, and I playing 'Yahtzee' on the coffee table.

"Yep!" I sang cheerfully, flashing her a big cheesy grin and then I rolled the 5 dice and looked down to find four 6's and one 5, "Oooo…Four of a kind!"

"You must be cheating!" Devan pouted as I filled out my 'Yahtzee' score sheet, smiling at my good fortune.

"It is nice to see you too, Rose!" Seth offered a friendly hello to my gorgeous, yet not-so-mildly temperamental, stepsister.

"Mutt!" she spat as she huffed and stormed away from us, her stunning, golden hair dancing behind her as she left. Besides, Emmet, all she had was her good looks. Seth and I shrugged in unison. Her insults didn't upset me anymore. And Seth had learned my trick of kindness killing. Rosalie was an easy target. Our happiness made her even more enraged. Which, I felt a bit guilty admitting, but it brought me enjoyment.

"What's for dinner, Mom?" I called to into the open room, ignoring Rosalie's previous insult.

Esme and Edward were cooking dinner in the kitchen. Edward had taken a real interest in cooking lately. He thought it was a good idea to buff up on his knowledge of the cuisine arts because half of the family ate human food. I think it was because he liked to cook for Devan. She always ate when he made the meals. No matter what it was! She even ate Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo one night. And she hadn't had poultry since she was 10 years old! _'What blind fools! Just kiss and get on with it!'_ I would think when I watched the two of them interact.

"I am braising rack of lamb and baking baby potatoes with garlic butter," Esme proudly informed us. She was always delighted when I called her 'Mom' and she got to act the part. She was the most maternal woman I had ever met. Every act she preformed was always done with love. Even though I still remembered my own mother well, through the years I had excepted Esme as my other mom.

"Mmmm…" I hummed. I could just drool as I anticipated Sunday night dinner. They were always scrumptious. I usually helped in the kitchen, but Devan had begged me to play 'Yahtzee' with her because she was tired of Alice always knowing who was going to win before the game ended.

"And I have prepared a Greek style salad and baked some fresh, dinner rolls as well," Esme included.

"That sounds great, Mrs Cullen," Seth spoke up, "Thanks again for having me over. I appreciate your effort,"

I giggled. _'He is so polite. I love him,'_ I squealed in my head. I could see from Esme's face that she was thinking something along the same lines as I was. _'I could just pinch his cheeks for being so damn adorable!'_

"It is no trouble at all, dear. You are more than welcome," Esme told him. I loved to watch Seth interact with my family. Having him excepted meant so much to me. _'Now all I have left to do is have my punishment lifted and my life will be perfect!'_ I determined.

No time had been set on my grounding. It was up for debate when they felt I had learned my lesson. But no one had brought it up in a long time and I was afraid they were going to leave me permanently under house arrest. I hadn't been shopping in ages! I had been banned from going to any team sports or dance classes. It was part of my grounding and it was the worst part. It was troubling me. There was a regional dance competition coming up and I desperately wanted to enter.

"Silver is going to win," Alice informed Seth and Devan as we were almost finished the game.

"It looks that way, but the game isn't over yet," Seth replied back happily. Devan tossed her pencil down and closed her eyes to check on Alice's vision.

"It is over!" Devan told Seth a moment later.

"But…I still have 3 more rolls," Seth argued.

"Even if you get everything else you need, Silver will win," Alice stated again.

"How can you know that?" Seth asked. Then it hit him. "Ooh…"

"Ya…it runs in the family," Devan told him as he remembered what I had told him about our seeing talents. He still seemed unconvinced with my sister's predictions.

While Seth was adding up scorecards to check if Alice was correct I excused myself from the living room. I walked gently and quietly down the long hallway to Carlisle's study and stopped before the closed door. I hesitated to knock. _'He is going to say no,'_

"Come in," a voice from within to closed off room called out to me. Clearly even soft footing it was of no use in this house. _'Great! No backing out now,'_ I told myself as I turned the doorknob and peeked my head in the crack I had just made between the door and the door frame.

"May I talk to you for a minute, please?" I asked politely. He was sitting at his desk with a massive book opened in front of him, smiling his usual, peaceful smile. He closed the book and nodded.

"Of course. Come on in," he gestured and stood up to greet me like the gentleman he was. I walked in as neatly and streamline as I was able to. I didn't want to fidget around and make myself seem guilty or inattentive. _'This is important!' _I reminded myself. I don't know why I was so nervous. That was normally not the case with me.

"Thank you," I muttered and stood in front of him awkwardly.

"Have a seat," he offered and I was happy to accept. I first sat like I always did, legs crossed, but as he sat across from me in silence, I became aware of how unladylike I was and undid my legs and neatly crossed one of the other and laid my hands on top of my high knee.

He smiled serenely at me. Not pressuring me to speak. I smiled back, but then looked down.

The silence was getting to me. And I started to feel like I was on trial.

When I was a kid and told everyone about my visions I was sent to a Psychiatrist. That doctor would stare me down and write about me on his little notepad as I wriggled nervously in front of him. My heart would begin to speed up its pace as I stewed in wonder of how he was judging me.

'_Oh shit!' _I swore as that very thing was starting to happen to me now.

"Silver?" Carlisle finally confronted me. I shot my head back up to look his way. I knew he could hear my increased heart rate so there was no point in denying it.

"My sympathetic nervous system is really giving me away here!" I sighed, feeling better acknowledging my obvious stress reaction. He smiled and nodded.

"You can't talk to me about anything. You know that, Silver. I am here to help,"

"Ya. I know," I squeaked. I waited a few seconds and then blurted out my reason for going to him. "I would really like to go to dance! There is a competition next month that I have been preparing for!"

'tick tock, tick tock' went the old, pendulum clock hanging on his office wall. He was still smiling calmly. Nothing ever seemed to touch him. The suspense was killing me.

"I see," he said. Then the begging began. I couldn't help but to be me again. I cared too much about my mission than to just ask in a calm, rational manner.

"Please? I have been so good. I have been to all my classes! I haven't been sent to the office. Not once! My grades are still really good. I have not mouthed off to anyone. Not even Rosalie! Who sometimes really deserves it because she is mean and-"

"Relax, Silver," he very politely interrupted me with one hand raised. It was correct of him to do so. I could have gone on for days. I didn't blink. I was afraid to loose my contact with him in case it would break this desperate plea from working. "I don't see why you can not compete in the dance program,"

I leap forward into him and squeezed him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" I chanted joyfully. His body moved with a laugh and then he continued.

"Of course, you will not go alone. One of us will escort you,"

"Sure! That's fine!" I beamed. _'Yay!'_

"And you will stay in view of that escort the entire time,"

"Yes! For sure! I will!" I agreed eagerly. I hugged him again. He laughed again.

"Allright, now. We are not holding you hostage to be cruel, you know. We are only trying to keep you safe,"

"I know that," I said. I relinquished my hold and back up a bit. "I am sorry for being so much trouble all the time," I added sincerely, my head down in shame. I felt that gesture was appropriate. "I don't mean to be a burden. It just so hard to be organized and perfect like the rest of the family….but I will try. I really will try harder to be better,"

"Oh, Silver. You are so beautiful the way you are. Such a young soul. Innocent and naïve. You are blessed with this gift. Your enthusiasm for life is delightful. That is who you are. The way you find joy in the world and are instrumental in sharing that joy with others around you is touching. You remind me a lot of Alice in that way. I wouldn't want you to change those things about yourself to fit in,"

I didn't know what to say. _'That was unexpected,' _I thought, finding his gaze again. I felt heat well in my eyelids and warm tears puddle, but my emotions were not strong enough to release them. I blinked them away and smiled at his kind words.

"That being said," he continued, "There is a time and a place for order and self-deprivation. I hope you will do better to learn when the moment calls for this discipline. Do you have any idea how devastated this family would be if any harm came to you or Devan?"

There was a pause. _'No…must hold back…don't say…'_

"I am sure Rosalie would find the will to go on," I blurted out sarcastically, in spite of my inner wish to hold onto my tongue. _'For Pete's sake, Silver! He is trying to be nice to you and you can't shut your mouth for one second!' _I scolded. He smiled, knowingly as I scrunched back in my seat apologetically.

"Would you like to end this here?" he offered.

"Yes please…" I muttered gratefully for the out. His kind grin never faded as he stood and opened the door for me as I was about to leave. I turned abruptly and gave him once last hug.

"Thanks Dad!"

He chuckled and hugged me back. I had been calling Esme 'Mom' for quite some time now, but I had never called him 'Dad'. I had been worried it would be inappropriate, but he welcomed it now and that reassured me that it was okay.

"I think there is someone who will be just as excited about you taking up dance," Carlisle told me as I stepped out of his office into the hall. I beamed, knowing exactly what who he was referring to and ran as fast as I could into the room at the end of the hall on the left.

"ALICE!" I called out loud, putting my hands to my mouth as a megaphone, "I am dancing again and that means a costume is needed. Sparkles, glitter, lace, and frills…it is all up for you to create! Are you game?!"

"Leotard? Or a full dress? Do you need tights as well? Nylon stretch? How about skirt length?" Alice asked as she flew at me with a measuring tape and got right down to business. She was beaming from the inside out, but she was too busy circling me and planning a design to let it all out informally. I put my arms out and stood as her mannequin and giggled. _'Yay! Punishment lifted. My life rocks!'_

_*_

_*_

_*_

**A week went by…**

It was Sunday again and the last day of school had been this past Friday. We were officially on summer holidays. We had one more stop to make at the school before we had 2 whole months away from the dilapidated school building.

Rosalie and Emmet were graduating…again! So the whole family got dressed up and put on the proud family act and went to the ceremony in the school auditorium.

"Yay Emmet! Way to go!" I stood up and yelled to him as he crossed the stage. He was a foot taller then everyone up there. He smiled so wide the principal leaned back as he shook Emmet's hand. I belted out in laughter at the sight. Then Emmet turned to us and waved his diploma eagerly.

"Woooooo!!!!" I rooted for him. Alice was standing up next to me, bouncing up and down with cheer as well.

"Shhh," Devan hushed me quietly, trying to pull me down. She looked mortified that I was drawing attention to our section of the audience.

"Oh, relax and be happy! It is not everyday Emmet and Rose graduate from high school!" I told Devan.

"Only every decade!" Alice sang in Devan's direction so none of the people sitting around us could hear. I burst out laughing at our family's inside joke. The whole row of us was smiling now. Even Edward, who very rarely smiled unless Devan was smiling, cracked a miniscule grin on his face of stone.

"Congratulations, Rosalie!" Alice bellowed out to our flawless sister who waltzed across the stage with such draw to her that all eyes were on her. Nearly every man in the room had their mouth hanging open. And every woman looked annoyed at the man sitting next to her for that response.

"She is gorgeous," I heard the woman in front of me say in shock. _'Apparently someone who has never seen my sister before'_

"She is perfect," another woman said_. 'Hmmmm….'_ I began to think, the wheels in my head spinning mischievously. _'I really should try to behave,'_

"Almost too perfect. I wonder if she has had work done?" the woman in front of me speculated. _'Hah!'_ I laughed inside, but my reflexes threw me forward. _'Why not? This is for Seth!'_ I decided to go with my gut.

"Rhinoplasty," I whispered loudly and unsubtly behind the woman's left ear.

From my peripheral vision I could see Alice step back in a gasp and Devan sank in her seat even further. The woman turned to me with interest. I tapped my nose and nodded. I could feel everyone around me gawking at me. Especially the eyes of my family. _'Rose deserves it!'_

"It took two surgeries to tame that beast!" I added, scrunching up my face in disgust to what I was alluding Rosalie might look like with a giant honker on her face!

Loud, steady, rhythmic laughter came ringing out of Edward's mouth as he leaned forward to try and stifle his amusement in his hands. It didn't work. Devan joined him and the two of them got a lot of looks from neighboring spectators as they fed off one another in a laughing war.

I flashed a cheeky grin out to Rosalie who was glaring my way as she accepted her diploma. The principal was even more frightened by Rosalie's snarled expression than of Emmet!

"Ooooooh…Rosalie is so mad!" Edward informed me, in between his and Devan's dying chuckles. He could hear her screaming thoughts no doubt! I shrugged, not looking at him. I didn't look at anyone. I kept my smug smirk firmly planted on Rosalie as she stormed off the stage.

I was satisfied with myself._ 'That felt good!'_

*

*

*

The ceremony ended and it was time to leave the grads and go home. I got a bit of a chastise from Carlisle and Esme in the car on the ride home for the stunt I pulled. Carlisle questioned if I really was interested in going to my dance competition. Rhetorically, though, for his tone was soft and both he and Esme showed signs of finding my joke entertaining as well as the rest of us. But they warned me to put an end to it or there would be consequences.

It didn't help that after they scolded me, Rose's face appeared as I imagined in my head blaring an ignoramus beak. I broke out in a sputtering of raspy laughter and snorts in the backseat. I tried to calm my gratification, but it didn't stop being funny. Alice and Devan joined me in the giggles. I laughed until my sides hurt.

Emmet and Rosalie were forced to participate in a group photo so they were off pretending to be human. I was glad. As wonderful as it felt to get one up on Rosalie, I was not ready to face her yet. _'That is not going to be pretty,'_ I knew. We reached the house at dusk and filed inside for the evening.

"Devan. Silver. There is mail for you," Esme told us as we enter in through the large, white front doors into the foyer. She picked up two envelopes that had been sitting a top of an antique, French provincial console. I skipped forward to grab mine from her. Devan already had hers and was reading the front of the white envelope.

"It is our aptitude test results!" She exclaimed. My face dropped as her was elevated.

"Oh," I mumbled, folding mine and shoving it into my pocket. _'Boring!'_

"Hurry up…open it!" Devan told me pointing to me.

"Nah! I don't care. I am hungry. Let's get dinner going," I blew it off. Seth would be coming over soon and I was more excited about that prospect than some silly career aptitude results. I was planning to cook the meal tonight for Seth. An old family recipe for a great Italian spaghetti!

"Oh come on!" Devan said as she ripped her envelope up and pulled out the thin sheet of black speckled paper.

"Well, what does it say?" Alice asked Devan and she prance up behind my sister delicately to peek. Devan's eyes flew right and left over the page as she read and her expression went from enthusiastic, to curious, to confused, and then to unreadable, yet obvious upset was soon to follow. She looked up with a blank stare.

"What were the results, dear?" Esme questioned.

"Not what she was hoping for obviously," Jasper very quietly murmured from the side of the room.

"Okay, now I am in interested. What does it say?" I blurted out, stepping closer to Devan with intense curiosity. She heaved a sigh and the paper crumbled slightly in her semi-fisted palm. She let Alice take it from her and read it out loud for us.

"Service Representative, Financial Loans Official, Business Administration, Product Analyst," Alice mellowed her cheery voice as she read aloud.

"That is rubbish!" Edward spat, defending Devan off the bat. _'How do they not see it? He is her knight in stone cold, sparkly armor!'_ I thought quickly before coming to my sister's aid as well.

"It is not a good judge of character," I began to tell Devan, "The whole thing is computer generated so it has no idea of your personality, your environment or any other things that the test failed to take into consideration," I offered as reassurance.

"But it thinks I would make a good bank teller or secretary! Do I really come off as that…that…?" Devan said at practically a whimper, disgruntled by the job options the results listed.

"Old Marmish? Ya…sometimes," I blurted out. I felt Edward's cold stare and Esme spoke up softly and lovingly.

"Silver, watch your mouth,"

"You didn't let me finish," I justified. Devan didn't seem upset at me for speaking my mind, "I was just meaning that she is rather quiet. She has organized thoughts. She is great at math too. Of course that is how the exam rated her. It doesn't know that she loathes all that stuff!!! It didn't ask her that!"

"Silver is right," Alice chirped to cheer up Devan, "You can do whatever you want to do. This is just a suggestion,"

"Yeeeah…" Devan uttered so slowly it was not believable.

"You are a musician, Devan. These people can take their results and shove it up their--" Edward boldly spoke as Esme cut him off.

"Language, Edward," our mother insisted he not finish his sentence.

"No, he is right! Up their asses!!" I finished for him as I grabbed the paper and squished it tighter into a ball and held it up in the air victoriously. _'Maybe too much,'_ I told myself. A few people snickered. Devan smiled, gratefully. That made my dramatic display of loyalty worthwhile.

"Silver," I heard Carlisle's stern, gentle voice reprimand me. I closed my open, toothy smile so my lips became a thin line curving up to my eyes.

"Food time!" I sang merrily and ran to the stairs and took two steps at a time up to the top. No one protested the end of the conversation. In fact, I think they welcomed it.

I left them all on the main floor and hurried off to the kitchen to begin cooking. I was too excited to start making Seth a nice meal! He would be here soon.

*

*

*

Soon the upstairs was wafting with a wonderful aroma of tomatoes and garlic. I had insisted we do a pasta night for Seth. Devan was pleased. She liked garlic bread and that went with the meal.

I made my grandmother's recipe of classic spaghetti sauce. I convinced Esme to buy the red wine I needed for the rich sauce. It was the special ingredient and without it I pleaded it would not be perfect. And I was right. The wine gave the pasta that special kick that it required.

"I really wish you could all try this," I hummed as I sampled some of the boiling, red sauce on a large, wooden spoon. _'Perfection!'_

"It really is the best spaghetti sauce on the planet," Devan included, keeping her distance at the island counter so she would prevent injury to herself. Everyone else sat in the living room.

"I am glad you two will enjoy it," Esme offered, holding her breath. I smiled. _'Poor vampires. Blood seemed so boring to me. Always the same thing on the menu,' _I thought. Then a thought popped into my head so I brought it up.

"Hey?" I asked, looking over to the living room where all the family sat, besides Rosalie and Emmet, who were not back yet from their human graduation duties yet. Heads turned my way in response.

"Are there different flavors of blood?" I asked genuinely.

"Oh geez!" Devan scoffed and put her head in her hands. There were 5 silent vampires all looking back at me with intrigue.

"I am just wondering, because animal blood is quite like human blood. As long as it is mammal you are hunting. They even have the same blood types. And that got me pondering if you can tell the difference between blood types and if they had distinctive flavors to them," I babbled, still stirring the wooden spoon in the silver pot on the stove.

"You are so odd!" Devan moaned.

"Every person…animal," Carlisle correct himself as he answered, "is unique. And depending on diet, the blood will taste different as well. Some better than others, but all of it is part of nourishment. It is important to keep that in mind. We eat to survive, like you do, and flavor is a luxury,"

"Hmmmm," I pondered. _'Good answer,' _I thought. I licked the blood red sauce off the tip of the spoon again. "Yes…it is. One I am grateful for,"

Devan moaned again and shook her head at me, her face implanted into her hands.

"I like sleeping the best," she spoke out through her fingers.

"Meh…not as important as food," I decided, my apron string loose and catching on a handle of the cupboard. My hands were occupied.

"Well, it smells not so tempting to us," Alice offered, her nose curling us as she skipped on up to me to retie my apron.

"It smells great to me," Seth's voice sang out to me as he perked his head in the side, glass door from the outside, upstairs patio. I beamed and put down the hot pot and spoon and ran over to him at the door. I leaped into his open arms and without thinking kissed him. He was the one who plucked my away from his lips and motioned with his eyes to the observers watching us.

"Oh, right!" I twittered, not embarrassed at all and took his hand and pulled him in. "Come in, supper is almost ready. I made spaghetti for you,"

"Wow…that sounds wonderful,"

"And garlic bread!" Devan added proudly. She had made the garlic, herb butter and spread it on the large loaf of French bread before relinquishing it to me to deal with the oven properties of the meal.

"Great, I am starving," he said. I laughed. Seth ate a lot. Not just a lot for a growing man. He ate like a growing werewolf. It was fun to watch.

Seth offered to set the table, which I thought was so sweet of him. He insisted, even though he was our guest, and he went to work. All the while in doing so he filled in the family about any news he had from his patrolling the area. So far, there were no signs of any vampire activity, besides our family, in the area.

*

*

*

We finished out meal and sat back in our seats.

"Ow," Devan laughed and held her side.

"Don't make my laugh or I will burst," I warned her. We had just downed two plates of spaghetti each and who knows how many slices of garlic bread. That was nothing compare to Seth, who didn't seem fazed at all by the amount of food he had just consumed.

"I never need to eat again so long as I live," Devan uttered carefully.

"That was the best meal I have ever had!" Seth piped up, reaching for my hand under the table. He squeezed it gently.

"I am glad you enjoyed it," I replied with a flirtatious smile.

"It was really good, Silver," Devan admitted, "You should consider the culinary arts,"

"Meh…I don't know," I said. I did like to cook. And I loved food. But I never wanted to plan a career. Devan's mind was working as she reached and pulled the white envelope from my pocket. "Hey!" I yelped helplessly, but I didn't try to stop her because I was too sluggish from the carbohydrates sinking into my bloodstream.

"I want to see what it says," Devan told me, holding it up in question if I would allow it. She was far too polite. I would have torn her mail open without a second thought if I wanted to.

"Fine! I am too full of pasta to try and stop you," I chuckled. I really didn't care. I thought the whole thing was garbage like I had earlier divulged downstairs. Alice danced up to the table.

"I wanted to be here for this…it is a shocker!" Alice smiled widely. She already knew what the results were. Seth caught this, but looked baffled.

"Why didn't you just do what Alice did and look to find out the results?" Seth asked Devan as she carefully tore open the top of the letter.

"I tried, but I don't think Silver was planning on opening it. I couldn't find the results," she muttered, pulling out the paper inside.

"It is true. I just found out the moment Devan decided to take the note from Silver's pocket," Alice explained to Seth. He was still not used to our strange talents and how they worked. He nodded, but still looked slightly confused.

"What does it say?" I asked as Devan's mouth hung open.

"Oh, no way!" she belted out in disbelief.

"I know, eh? Didn't see that one coming. Did you?" Alice's voice sang out in a string of high notes.

"I want to know," Seth pressed impatiently as Devan remained gawking into the white and black transcript.

"General Surgeon!!! Seriously?!" Devan finally let the words run out of her mouth as she aspirated.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" I heard Edward laugh for the second time today. I couldn't help but giggle a bit too. _'That was unexpected!'_

"To be more specific…You could branch out to any of these specialties: Neurology, Pediatrics, Endocrinology, Cardiology, HEMATOLOGY!!--"

"HA! That would be ironic!" I chocked on my laughter. I was finding this far too amusing. _'How absurd!'_ I had never once ever considered going into medicine.

"For the love of humanity…really?" Devan asked rhetorically, still in awe of the results.

"Oh come on, Devan. The computer that typed this list out has no idea who they are dealing with!" Edward offered some condolence to my sister as he walked up. "Can you honestly picture Silver becoming any one of those medical professionals?"

"Hey!" I piped up, starting to be a bit insulted.

"I think Silver would be a good doctor," Seth stuck up for me.

"Thank you!" I shrilled, a bit annoyed at the doubt my family had in my capabilities.

"Oh please…you couldn't focus to save a life if you wanted to!" Edward teased, but he was partly serious too.

"I could so…if I wanted to," I defended myself. _'How rude!'_

"Seth is right," Carlisle's kind voice broke the tension, "I think Silver would make an excellent physician if that is the path she chooses to take," There was silence. I was glad to have Carlisle on my side. That ended the debate. He was now behind me and had his hand on my shoulder lovingly.

"Thank you for all the support guys. Love you too," I sarcastically chanted to my siblings who were not on the same page as Carlisle or Seth.

"You said it yourself, Silver. The results are not reliable," Alice reminded me.

"I know. That is not the point I am trying to make. I stick by that prior statement. I am just a bit insulted that you don't have the faith in me that Carlisle and Seth have," I pouted softly. I was not really hurt that much by their lack of support, but I was trying to make a point.

"You think you would be a good doctor?" Devan asked me for my opinion.

"Sure…if that is what I wanted to do. I would go all out and be the best!" I told her with a strong voice. I was a bit stunned by my own faith in myself at the moment.

"Precisely," I heard my father state proudly from behind me, his icy fingers squeezed my shoulder very lightly.

"Not that I am planning to do so…I am just saying that I could if I wanted to," I made myself very clear. A few smiles broke out in the crowd.

"Of course, dear," Carlisle said, taking his cool hand from my shoulder. I looked back at him and smiled gratefully for backing me on this one. Devan sighed and dropped the paper with my aptitude results on it on the table. Carlisle picked it up.

"I am sorry, Silver. You are right. It is just my results were really unimpressive," Devan mumbled slightly. I looked at her with big eyes and nodded.

"At least you weren't told you were destined to scrub slim from the sewers!" I offered, thinking back to our conversation the morning of the test. Devan laughed one solid 'HA!' and then held her side again in pain from eating too much.

"I know, eh? Here come the food sweats!" I joked, still slouching back in my seat from over doing it when it came to dinner this evening. We could hardly move.

Everyone laughed at my comment and our sloth-like state. I saw Carlisle smiling faintly as he folded up my results and slid it into his sweater pocket.

Everything was as it should be. I was at home, safe and sound, with my boyfriend and my family. We were all collaborating in healthy debates and conversation, enjoying each other's company. I was no longer grounded, free to carry on with my favorite activities. The 3 S's!

Sports, Shopping and Seth!

Life was good!

* * *

**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	30. Deja Vu

Chapter 30 – Déjà Vu

Devan's POV:

**July 9th (The Twin's 15th Birthday):**

"Devan! Come try on some dresses!" Silver yelled out to me from down the hall. I ignored her. I had already told her that I was not wearing some ridiculously expensive, designer gown to our 15th birthday party. I was against the whole shebang in the first place! I saw no need to have a huge party every year. I had asked for a simple family day to celebrate, but Alice and Silver took over as usual and me dreams of a quiet day went up in a cloud.

"DEV-AAAAAAAAN!!!" She tried again. I casually took a sip from my water glass and flipped the page of the book I was reading at the kitchen table. I didn't look up, but I could tell a few people were watching me. Their watchful glances didn't convince me to respond to me shrieking sister.

"DeeeeeVAAAN!!!" Silver persisted. I was starting to get annoyed. My book was just hitting the climax and I really wanted to just sit and enjoy it.

"Devan, honey…just tell her that you will pick out an outfit later," Esme instructed me. _'Ya. Like that will work!'_ I thought. I sighed and turned my book over on the table so it was face down, holding my place.

"Deeevaaaan!" Silver called out as she ran up in to the living room.

"Go away!" I firmly held my ground.

"Alice already picked out a selection. You only have to point and choose and then she will alter it if it needs it," my sister tried to persuade me.

"No," I stated.

"Just one minu-"

"No," I repeated. She didn't look phased, just a bit more jumpy at my straight out refusal.

"Devan, you need to wear a dress,"

"No I don't!"

"The invitations clearly stated it was formal dress. Being as it is our birthday it is imperative we oblige by the rules,"

"I don't care,"

"I will pick for you then!" Silver exclaimed happily, somehow seeing this option as the silver lining. Her face brightened and she left.

"That is it! I am not going!!!" I belted out, annoyed that another one of my wishes was being turned down.

"Bite your tongue!" Alice flew into the room in sheer panic.

"Nope. I have decided. If you two don't leave me alone I will not be attending,"

"It is your birthday party," Alice reasoned with me. Silver ran back into the room with a few shiny gowns in her arms.

"Ya, it is our birthday and we are just trying to make you happy. Lighten up, Sis!"

"Happy?! Do you know me at all?" I questioned adversely.

"Sure we do…you are a fun-sucker!" Silver announced teasingly.

"I want peace and quiet today. I want to read my book and I want to wear clothing that doesn't cut off my air supply and itch when I put my arms down," I ranted, "If you truly want me to have a 'happy birthday' then you will back the hell off!"

"Girls, Devan is right. You need to do your own thing. When the times comes, Devan will dress herself for the ball as she sees fit," Esme coached. I was pleased she was on my side, it seemed. Although, mothers don't really take sides.

"I am capable of finding my own dress to wear," I said in a huff, realizing right away my mistake. _'Oh crap!'_

"Dress! Oh, good!" Alice's face lit up at my offer to wear a dress. Silver smiled too. I threw my hands to my face and groaned painfully.

"Okay, well, be sure you are fully dressed by 7. Rose will do your hair," Alice informed me and she whizzed off back to her bedroom. Silver grinned triumphantly.

"Oh, go away!" I pouted and whipped around to grab my novel from the table.

"It will be fun. You'll see," Silver told me positively. _'Ya…easy for you to say when you have everything. Your boyfriend is going to be here holding your hand all evening,'_ I envied Silver's life for a moment. It somehow always seemed more pleasant than mine.

*

*

*

I scurried off to find a private place to read. I found that there was a nice, hallowed out tree right beside the house, facing the river in the distance. It was close enough that I was allowed to sit out there alone without guard.

I curled up into its arched shape and dove into my book again. This time Jodie had gotten it right. The books she read normally didn't suit me, but to be polite I generally ended up reading them to appease her. Her taste for sappy romance usually had me chocking back gags, but this one was very sweet.

The tale was not very well written, but it drew me in regardless. It was set in the early 20th century during WWI. The chemistry between the heroic soldier and the lonely damsel was somehow very appealing. They were tangled in a web of secret longings and neither one of them seemed to be able to resist one another's company. They were friends. Best friends! However, she could not reveal her true feelings for him because he was arranged to be married to another woman who was better suited for him. He is then pulled into war and must decided where his allies lie if he should make it home from battle and she is left wondering if she should wait for him or move on.

I was certain it would have a happy ending. Surely, neither hero no damsel wouldn't be harmed in the war and they would wind up together for always. _'If only they would be honest with one another,'_ I thought as I took a moment away from the book to look up and enjoy the day.

No rain or morning dew remained on the surface of anything and there was a soft wind wafted through the summer air. I was staling. I was frightened that the book may not have the happy ending I so badly needed to read right now. I was scared to read on and find that the hero came home from war only to marry his arranged bride.

I drew in a deep breath and let it seep out of my lips slowly. _'I wish I could write my life,'_ I thought. _'I would not be so weak,'_

"Devan," a voice pulled me from my daydreams. I looked behind me to find Edward standing still a few feet away.

"Hi," I barley uttered. _'Hi? How clever. Now he will surly understand how you love him, Devan. Good choice of greeting!'_ I internally snapped at myself. My face did its best not to show my feelings.

"It is a lovely day, is it not?" He started conversing. I let out a short breathy laugh. He sometimes sounded so proper in his speech. So refined and thoughtful.

"It is," I answered back, closing my book on my lap.

"Are you enjoying your storybook?"

"Storybook?"

"It is fiction, is it not?"

"Yes," I sighed, looking longingly at the bent soft covered book in my hand.

"You don't appear to be enjoying it very much," he offered his observation, very smoothly taking a seat next to me on the dried out, tree stump.

"It is not over yet,"

"And you have an idea of how you would like it to end?"

"Yes," I whispered. Edward seemed to understand me so well. _'How can he not see how much I love him?'_

"And if it doesn't end as you wish?"

"Oh, don't say that," I practically begged. I needed this story to end well. I would be devastated if the soldier chose his arrangement over the damsel.

"Will you be very sad?" He asked. His eyes pierced into me and I answered.

"Yes,"

"Perhaps you should stop reading. If it will cause you pain,"

"I would always wonder,"

"Fairytales don't always come true," he muttered sadly, turning his glance from mine.

"Who said this is a fairytale?" I quipped back. His eyes met mine and slowly he smiled and nodded. We didn't say another word. _'Don't ruin this for me, Edward,'_

*

*

*

After having a conversation with Edward that seemed too familiar to be comfortable, he walked me back to the house. According to him, Alice was having a slight melt down noticing the time and my absence.

I parted ways with my stepbrother and begrudgingly headed to my room to find something to wear. Silver was not in there so I closed the door and locked it. I didn't need her interference at this time. I was very capable of putting together a nice outfit without hers or Alice's help, despite what they thought.

I opened the closet and stood facing the line up of clothing for a moment or two. Three quarters of the clothing in there was Silver's. The rest of her things had a spot in one end of Alice's gigantic walk in. I didn't mind. Most of my things could be folded and placed in dresser drawers.

I went to my small section of hung clothing and skimmed to the very last one tucked in the corner of the enclose. I had totally forgotten all about this dress! It was one that Alice had wanted me to where last year, when I refused to put on a dress and wore jeans and a black sweater instead.

It was a very nice dress. _'It would make Alice so happy if I wore it'_ I thought, my face pinched as I pulled out the dress and examined it. I was not a huge fan of wearing dresses, but this one was delicate and feminine and it made me want to put it on. It was not too fancy, but it looked like a nice mini dress in a soft shade that I could wear without making me stand out too much in the crowd.

I stripped off my jeans and t-shirt combo and pulled the dress on over my head and then fastened all the zippers and straps in place firmly. _'Wow! Perfect fit.'_ I thought. That was a blessing. I could bear to have the dress altered on me. I hated that. I was even less cooperative than Silver trying to stand still for a fitting. _'I suppose this will do,'_ I decided and looked down at the wide range or shoes Silver owned. I selected a pair of soft, leather flats that matched the delicate, grey of the silk dress perfectly.

I put on the jewelry that Alice had given me at Halloween and slipped on my favorite, turquoise, rose ring afterwards. It had been a gift from my mother the day she and my father left for their fatal skiing trip. I like to wear it to remember them by.

Next, I grabbed a bottle of Silver's nail polish in a pearly, opal shade and sat at my desk to coat my nails with a few layers of it.

After 15 minutes and the polish had hardened completely I stood up, inhaled, and decided it was time to face my sisters. I bet someone would comment on the shoes being too flat, but I was not prepared to budge on that matter. I was wearing a dress. I felt that was more than fair on my part. There was no need to wear shoes made to cut off the nerves in my spinal cord!

'_At least this is comfortable,'_ I thought. The silk of the soft material felt smooth around me as it hugged my body when I walked. It gracefully danced around me as I tread down the hall to Rosalie's room, making me feel more feminine than I was accustomed to feeling. I knocked three short knocks and entered as Rosalie's melodic voice called for me to do so.

"Come in," she sang like wind chimes in a peaceful wind would.

"Hey, Alice told me you were going to do my hair?" I asked, apprehensively, sticking my head in the door. Rosalie sat up straight, turned my way. She was sitting at her gorgeous, antique vanity, her reflection in the mirror doubled how absolutely magnificent she was. "Do you mind?"

"I suppose not, come have a seat," she told me. Something about her was so regal. I felt small and insignificant in her presence.

I gently stepped in to her room and watched her eyes examine me up and down. I bit my lip. She reached her hand out to the second, satin covered stool that was next to her and tapped it lightly encouraging me to sit next to her. Her lips bent upward and she smiled.

"You look lovely in that dress, Devan," she complimented me as I took my seat. I was a bit surprised. She was not demonstrative when it came to awarding other people praise on their appearances.

"Thanks," I mumbled very quietly.

"Speak up, for goodness sake. You are a lady. It is high time you began to act like one," she corrected me. I nodded and looked away. Partly in annoyance, but partly because I knew I would never be a lady and I was ashamed.

She stood swiftly and stepped behind me and let my hair down with ease. I didn't even feel the elastic pull. I watched her exquisite profiled face study me. She sighed.

"You can just tie it all back in a bun if that is easier. I know it is a mess," I apologized for my thick mass of wavy, black hair that just seemed to have a life of its own. I had never gotten into straightening it or styling it properly like Silver so it just naturally fell as it was meant to. All around my face in loose curls that were never uniform.

"No…I think you should leave it as is," she told me. I did a double take of my self in the mirror and then back at her. _'Is she serious. Alice's heart would stop if it were not still already,'_ Then Rosalie pulled a few strands from each temple back and twirled them around her finger and with one quick movement she put a sparkling pin in place at the back to tie the hair together. Then she stepped back.

'_How did she do that?'_ I marveled. My hair looked wonderful and she had hardly touched it. She picked up a mirror for me to see the back and side profile of myself.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"I…I like it," I mumbled softly_. 'Oops,'_ I thought. She heaved a quiet sigh and sat next to me again.

"You are naturally beautiful, Devan. He will never take you seriously until you learn to do the same,"

I stared at her in shock.

"Oh course I know!" she said. _'She knows?'_ I freaked out mentally. _'Not good!'_

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing dumb. I looked at the wide range of product on her vanity table and picked up a tube of lipstick to distract me.

"I mean. Obviously there is a boy!" she proclaimed, "Any woman can recognize another woman in love. Esme has known forever and she has been hoping you would come to your senses and ask one of us for advice. She insisted we not press you on the matter,"

"Uh…" I hummed, not sure what to say. _'So…they don't know which boy?'_

"She thought you would come around in your own time, but you have been pining over him for ever it seems and I just want you to know that you can have any boy you set your sights on. So, just come out of hiding and assert yourself!" She preached to me. My mouth hung open a bit. I didn't have a clue what to say.

_'Oh, sure thing Rose! It is only our brother I am fawning over. No big deal. I will just run to the balcony now and sing it out for the world to hear!'_ I sarcastically ranted in my mind before sitting up straight and closing my gaping mouth shut. She plucked the lipstick from my hand with ease and put it back with the other. Then she took a hold of my face with a frigid hand and turned my head to one side and then back again.

"On second thought, perhaps a bit of make up would help," she decided and she puffed soft, ivory powder on my face so I coughed and waved the tiny dust flakes away. She didn't seem to mind. She finished applying eyeliner and lip-gloss to my plain face. Then she curled my eyelashes and brushed on wet, black mascara so that my already long lashes nearly recoiled and touched my eyelids.

"Go now," she instructed with a flick of her wrist and her finger pointing to the door. _'Okay…that was blunt,' _I thought, as I stood up uneasily and began to leave_. 'She is right, though,'_

"Thank you, Rosalie," I told her clearly, "I will try to be less of a shrinking violet,"

She held her head up and nodded. I smiled and acknowledged that she was right.

There was a boy I wanted to be better for.

*

*

*

"Oh my Devans!!!" Silver cheered as I joined the rest of the family in the foyer. It was nearly 8 o'clock and the first guests would be arriving at any moment. I walked down the spiral stairs with caution. Even in flat shoes, I need to hold the railing. I had a strange habit of tripping on air.

"You look stunning, my dear," Esme cooed and reached for me. I hugged her back.

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered. She let me go, but held me in front of her to get a good look at me. She was behaving like the typically proud parent. She smiled loving back between Silver and me and then released me.

"Good choice!" Alice complimented, "You fill that out better this year than you would have last year anyhow,"

She had a smug grin on her tiny, pixie face that enjoyed seeing the dress she had picked out last year on me now. I was happy that she was pleased. It was a very cute dress. I never said Alice didn't have a great eye for fashion. She knew her stuff!

"Shoes are a bit of a disappointment, though," Silver joked as she stood next to me eagerly to show off her height in her 4 inch, silver satin shoes. Her dress was the matching tone and held her body tightly in its strapless form. She looked amazing with her hair tied up in an organized clump of bubble curls. A few strategically chosen strands fell delicately on her shoulder blade. He necklace from Seth was proudly fastened around her neck line. **(Check out Silver and Devan's birthday dresses for this chapter by going to my profile)**

"They are your shoes!" I shot back at her. She smiled and let it do. After all, I was wearing a dress and makeup. That was enough of a blessing on its own without me having to wear stilettos.

"I hear a car driving up the lane," Alice perked up and bounced around like a kid cracked out on chocolate.

"Oooo…goodie!" Silver beamed and she pulled me to the front door to wait. The ritual was that Silver and I met them at the door and escorted them in. It was a painful duty. One that I didn't mind Silver taking over. She was far better at chitchat than I was.

I was just hoping for Jodie to get here soon so I would have a familiar friend to talk to while the others all danced and drank punch. Crowds were never my favorite arenas. I was always fearful of making a scene and having a larger audience to perform to. Tonight was no exception. I felt my insides flutter like actual butterflies were inside me.

The feeling began to ease as more and more people arrived and the downstairs hall filled up. Alice had put on another great spectacle. The place looked amazing from top to bottom and all of our school acquaintances seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Seth showed up promptly and I was unofficially reserved as 2nd fiddle to Silver for the evening. It didn't bother me. She looked so happy as they stood hand in hand, talking with people they knew. Seth proudly, cuddled up behind my sister. There were a lot of jealous stares coming Silver's way. There was one pair of eyes not looking at Silver and Seth. Cody Newton's!

"Hey, Devan!" Cody Newton exclaimed as he hurried over to where I was standing.

"Hi," I replied. I guess that was not all he wanted because he waited a moment and then he spoke again.

"You look amazing tonight," he told me, his eyes shot away from mine and his foot shuffled awkwardly on the ground.

"Oh. Thank you," I told him shyly.

"You should dress up more often. You look really nice," he continued to compliment me.

"Well…it is… my birthday," I rationalized, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes," he agreed. He paused and turned a bit pink and added, "Happy Birthday,"

"Thanks, Cody," I said with a smile, hoping to put him at ease. He was all fidgety. _'What the heck is up with him?'_ I wondered.

"Do you want some punch? I could go get you some punch? Or some water? Whatever you'd like," he blurred his speech together.

"Uh…No, thank you. I am fine for now," I honestly answered.

"Do you want to dance?"

"Dance?" I blurted out. He looked so embarrassed so I added, "I don't dance, Cody. I am sure you know I can hardly stand still without falling over,"

"Oh, okay," he said, defeated. _'This is awkward,' _I decided.

I tried not being too obvious, but I scoped the room for hope of finding Jodie somewhere to save me from the awkward turn this conversation had taken. Jodie hadn't shown up._ 'Poor Cody,' _He was a blushed shade of pink and he smiled at me adoringly. In my off ward glance to find a friend to save me my eyes met Rosalie's and Esme's. They were not so subtly eavesdropping and I caught them in the act.

"Excuse me," I pardoned myself and walked away._ 'This is so ridiculous. Why did I agree to put on a stupid dress and gussy up?' _I blamed my new glamour appearance for Cody's sudden interest in me. I had not seen this coming. Silver had mentioned setting me up with him and that he liked me, but I thought she was mistaken. He didn't even know me.

"That was smooth," Rosalie sniped at me as I passed her to go to the patio for some fresh air. I ignored her. I didn't care if I was being rude. Cody was not my type. I saw no need to give him false hopes.

I hit the deck and the night air hit me like a splash of cool water. There was a tiny bit of dampness in the air that was surly going to ruin my hair-do. _'Oh, who cares about your stupid hair!'_ I thought stubbornly. This is why I disliked parties. Too many awkward moments awaiting to arise.

"Devan! Silver announced as she pranced out to me on the terrace. She was beaming from ear to ear. Seth stood in the doorway, giving us some privacy.

"Are you having fun?" I asked her pleasantly.

"Yes. So much! How about you?" She squealed merrily.

"Um, ya…" I mumbled trying to force my passive smile into a larger, more enthusiastic one. It didn't fool her.

"I know. It is not your scene. But you look so beautiful tonight. It is a shame you don't have anyone to dance with," she said with a hint in her tone.

"I can't dance, Silver. You know that," I laughed at her previous statement.

"You know Jacob, right?" she asked me, with a cheeky grin.

"I know of him. I don't know him personally," I uttered, not liking this one bit. Silver was up to something.

"Well, he is here and he would love to dance with you,"

"No," I blurt out.

"Devan! It is just a dance!" she coaxed me.

"I am not a dancer. You know that! No way!" I stomped my foot. _'I hate you for this, Silver!'_ I thought shooting fire bolts at my sister with my eyes. She wasn't going to back down.

"I already told him you would," she explained, with an apologetic expression.

"Silver!"

"I am sorry. I didn't think you would be so against it,"

"Really?" I said sarcastically, "How did you figure that?"

"Oh, come on! One dance and then you can go back into hiding again," she persuaded and tugged at my hand. I initially tried to plant my feet in, but she was tough.

"My goodness, you are unnaturally strong for your size!" I determined as she hauled me inside with ease.

"Yes…remember that! Now, go on. He is right over there waiting for you," she told me quietly. I saw Jacob standing alone by the snack table_. 'Oh dear, he sees me.' _I thought as my eyes met his. _'There is no way out!'_

"I hate you, Silver," I spoke boldly without looking at her. She released my hand and pushed me forward.

"I love you!" she sang as I made my way through the crowd towards Jacob.

"Hey, Devan," he greeted me gently when I approached him. He held out his hand to me and I took it. "I wanted to talk to you. I hope you don't mind me asking for a dance,"

"No, no. Not at all," I said in return. _'Talk about what?' _I wondered. We made it to the center of the room and then began to sway to the music. I was horrible at this part. I barely moved. I was like a stiff tree in the wind.

"I have a rather unusual favor to ask of you," he started.

"All right. What can I do for you?" I offered. I began to feel relax in his arms. Like we were old friends. There is nothing awkward about asking a friend for a favor.

"Well, I hope you won't be upset, but I know about your…," he said and then he whispered this next part, "Well, yours and Silver's talents,"

"Oh…" I gasped and pulled out from my lean.

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe. I won't tell a soul," He confessed earnestly.

"Okay,"

"I was just wondering if you would help me out be checking my future for me,"

"Oh, Jacob. I am not very good at it. And it is subjective. I am not always right," I began to make excuses.

"I realize that. But it is about a girl," he said, his eyes sad. I recognized the look. I knew what he was feeling. "I love her so much, but I am not sure she sees me that way too…or as just a friend,"

I sighed. I knew too well what he was going through. If I was anyone else I would probably tell him to 'just be honest with her' and to 'tell her how you feel', but I couldn't do that. _'Look how that blew up in my face!'_

"Please, Devan? Silver has been so much help looking into her past, but it has not revealed any solid proof that she loves me. I need you to see if she is in my future. I need to know if I am crazy," Jacob begged me. Looking into his deep, brown eyes, knowing full well that he could lash out and kill me in a heartbeat if he chose to, but never would because he was a gentle soul.

I made my decision.

"Okay," I agreed. His face lit up. And he began to relax a bit.

"So, how does it work? Like Silver, you just sort of slip into a trance?" he asked. I smiled and shook my head at how ridiculous it sounded. _'I should be made that he knows about this. Silver shouldn't be spreading our secrets. Especially to werewolves.'_ But I could see how she slipped up in this case. Jacob was no more a monster than my family of vampires were.

"Just keep me dancing. I will do the rest," I assured him. Then I focused my best on Jacob and looked into his future. I didn't want to share the visions directly with him in case they were not pleasant, so I made sure my hands were holding onto his t-shirt instead of his skin.

There was nothing at first. No girl. I went a bit deeper....

It was Bella. She was cooking a meal for her dad, the chief of police. I was about to try to find another vision to get back to Jacob's future, but then I realized she was the girl he was in love with. Isabella Swan!

I dug a bit deeper...

Jacob was there at Bella's home too. They sat down for dinner. Then it happened, the meal was over and the clean up had taken place. The room they were in was empty now, but for the two of them. Bella initiated. She slipped her hands into Jacobs pants pocket and craned her neck forward and kissed him. 'Mmmm…I love you,' she hummed. It felt wonderful.

"Devan?" I heard Jacob's voice in the present tug me back to the dance floor. The same song was finishing up. I twitched my head up to look at him. He was patiently, yet nervously waiting for some news. "Well?"

"Whatever you do, do not turn don't a meal at the Swan house," I told him with a sly smile. His face began to lighten as he saw where I was heading.

"So, I am not out on a limb here. She feels the same way?" he asked me for a more solid answer. I gave it to him as I let go of his arms and the music stopped.

"She loves you," I confirmed with a nod, feeling elated to be able to give some good news.

"Thank you!" he shouted and picked me up in a firm hug. It was a bit too tight and restricted my air supply. Nothing serious. He was about to let go when the slamming of something into us to knock Jacob off me. It was Edward!

"Edward!" I gasped, more aspirated from the stun of being knocked from Jacob's arms into Edwards than an actual loss of oxygen.

"He was hurting you," Edward said in such a low, tense voice he was nearly hissing.

"I was just giving her a hug!" Jacob innocently proclaimed, standing back up again. The whole room was watching us. Esme and Alice looked on in fear that the two boys might break out in a brawl at any second.

"Edward, it is fine. I am fine. It was just a hug," I tried to smooth the situation over. He placed me back on my feet again and stared harshly at Jacob.

"I meant no harm," Jacob offered. I nodded and held tight to Edward to restrain him. He seemed so angry.

"Leave, you have seen what you wanted to see. Do not use her for your benefit again. Do you hear me?" Edward growled. _'He must have read Jacob's mind. He knows that Bella loves Jacob,'_ I realized. My hold on the front of his buttoned shirt was no match for him if he really wanted to get to Jacob.

"I will leave, but I won't promise I won't be back. You know my obligations to my tribe. We will be watching you, Cullen," Jacob said in an ominous tone, "We will be keeping an eye on all of you,"

"You do that," Edward replied. It wasn't the best comeback, but with a large crowd of humans around I think he was trying to keep this from getting out of hand. None of the bystanders had the faintest idea of what was going on. Jacob turned and walked out. I saw Silver and Seth say something to each other and she let him go off after Jacob. Probably to calm him down and make sure Jacob didn't spill any beans in anger.

Edward released me and headed for the upstairs. I stood there in the center of the room, all eyes on me. I had caused this. Cody was looking at me, with a hurt expression on his petty boy face. I got the feeling his crush on me had ended when I danced with Jacob after refusing his invite. And all the girls around him who he had turned down because he was waiting for me were all glaring at me. _'Great! Just great!' _I thought. _'School will be really fun next year!'_

*

*

*

The party continued on and we ate cake and then said our goodbyes, as was the tradition. The guests seemed to get over the minor upset on the dance floor between Jacob and Edward. I was feeling just terrible about being at the center of it all. Edward had taken such a strong offense to what I had shown Jacob._ 'Was he jealous of Jacob because Bella loves him?'_

I wanted to cry, but I didn't have it in me. Tears wouldn't help me now. It hurt to think that as much as I loved Edward, he felt that yearning for Isabella Swan. He had been right. Some fairytales do not come true. They are not meant to be. _'I am alone. Edward doesn't love me,'_

Silver and Alice were buddy-buddy as the last guest left the foyer and the door was shut tightly behind them. The others were nowhere in sight. Carlisle was working. Rosalie and Emmet left to 'sleep' in the cabin for the night. Esme had left the party midway through to go hunting with Jasper.

"We are going to go change into our pajamas and Alice wants to give us facials and pedicures! You in?" Silver cheered as she and Alice went springing up the staircase.

"No thank you," I told her. I felt deflated.

"Are you sure? It will be fun," she sang, stopping half way up the tall, spiral stairs and hanging over the railing to look down on me. I smiled up at her. _'She is so happy,' _I noticed.

"I am sure. You go ahead,"

"Okie dokie," she chirped and then added, "Happy Birthday, Devan!"

"Happy Birthday," I sincerely told my sister. And with that she carried on up the stairs and off to have her fun, girly night. Alice smiled lovingly down at me from the top of the stairs. I couldn't be sure, but I think she winked at me before sure turned to join Silver.

I stood alone in the middle of the large hall with balloons sadly floating around my feet. The piano was the one grand item in the room that didn't make me tearful to look at. I walked over to it and sat down. The keys were so cold, so hard. Like home.

I began to play.

It was Edward's song. _'It doesn't matter anymore. He won't know it is for him anyway. Why keep it locked up inside me forever?'_

It was strange how when I was really playing something, with feeling and true intent, I could not hear the notes. I felt them. I knew they were correct. And having them perfect was not the point. When you really feel something you don't need to think about it. Your heart will just reveal what you hold so dear if you let go of your inhibitions.

I was so deeply relaxed, so serene in my artistry that I was breathing very slowly, my heart rate was low and it felt amazing. This is what I needed. Not a big party surrounded with people I don't know or like very well. I needed the familiar. I needed my piano and…

"Edward!" I exclaimed as I felt his cool touch on the back of my hand that had its finger tips on the white keys, finishing the final echoing notes of the song I had written for him.

I immediately withdrew my hands away.

"I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he spoke softly, almost at a whisper, "That was beautiful. Is it new?"

"No," I breathed evenly. I was still as calm as ever.

"You shouldn't have kept it to yourself for so long. It is the best you have composed thus far," he told me. His compliment didn't mean so much because I couldn't tell him the meaning behind the song.

"I wasn't sure if you would like it or not," I whispered somberly.

"How could I not?" was his reply, "It spoke to me. I heard the melody and knew I had to come to you. Is that not what you intended?"

"What?" I gasped gently.

"The sign of a good musician is one that seduces its audience. Dazzles them and draws them in,"

"Uh…I didn't intend to seduce anyone. I was just playing. I--"

"You dazzled me, Deavn," he told me, our eyes met. _'Why does this all seem so familiar?' _I wondered.

I tore my eyes away and coolly glanced down at my fingers as I stretched them out. I remembered the vision I had nearly a year ago. I had grown up since then. I was no longer a child. _'I won't ever kiss you, Edward. You have made it very clear your feelings for me are strictly--'_

An icy rush hit my face like a gentle breeze. The air I inhaled was sweet and like no other scent I had ever encountered or ever dreamed of embracing. Rivulets of cool tingles raced trough my lips and down my spine, but I didn't shiver. I could see sparkling diamonds in my sight. Like the sun was shining so brightly that it gleamed off ever surface it touched and was making me blind.

However it was night and only the moonlight shone in through the large, bay windows surrounding us in the great hall.

Edward slowly let me go, very carefully. He face left mine and I was able to see him again. He looked like an angel. _'Did he really just kiss me?'_

"Did you just kiss me?" I asked skeptically. I wasn't shy to ask. It had not felt real. _'I must be dreaming,'_ I rationalized. Edwards smirk was back on his perfect profile of a face.

"Is that all right with you?" he questioned me cautiously. I was sure my face was showing my surprise. I felt like I was a statue. I couldn't move.

"Yes," I let out airily, "Thank you,"

'_Thank you?'_ My mind rang error bells in my head._ 'This is not the time to be polite, Devan. Get a grip!'_

"You are welcome," He answered as she suppressed what was sure to be a laugh. His hand held my hand like a well-molded glove. I looked down at the two hands intermingled and tried to make sense of this moment.

"I don't understand,"

"I love you, Devan," he said so matter-of-factly with such a confidence that I barely understood the words. I had wanted to hear him say these words to me for so long that it was like a fairytale coming true now and I didn't know if I should believe it or try to pinch myself.

"I love you," I said to Edward for the 4th time in my life. The first 3 times I had just arisen from unconsciousness in the back of an ambulance and he hadn't answered me back. I was not about to make that same mistake.

Edward's face lit up. He was less pale, somehow, even though I knew that was impossible.

"What about Isabella Swan?" I asked. '_Stupid! Don't bring up the girl!'_ I told myself harshly.

"What about her?" he asked softly, his loving gaze was still fixed on me and it made me want to slide right into him and hold him close. But I needed to set a few things straight.

"I thought you liked her?"

"What made you think that?" he asked, his brow furrowed in slightly amused confusion.

"Well... You seemed so upset when you found out that she is in love with Jacob. You nearly thrashed him tonight,"

"I was protecting you, Devan. I was worried he was hurting you,"

"Oh," I pursed my lips, "I thought you were jealous,"

"I was…of Jacob being so close to you," he told me with no hesitation.

"You have nothing to be jealous of. I was the one who has been jealous," I confessed.

"You?" he asked, his pure voice a bit high as he looked at me for an explanation.

"I thought you were in love with Isabella," I told him sheepishly, "You said her scent was calling you. It was like nothing you had ever encountered before. You were drawn to her like no one else,"

"Yes. That is true. Her scent is strong," he admitted to me. I waited for the punch line, "It is too strong!"

"I thought that was a good thing. I thought you wanted her so badly you could hardly resist,"

"She called to me at first, but it is like a drug. A hard drug I cannot shake. It makes me ill,"

"Ill?" I asked, the nausea in my own stomach was beginning to dissipate as he squashed my fears.

"She tortures me daily. Her scent is repugnant. It reminds me of the monster I am. I can't stand to be near her,"

"So you don't want her then?" I checked to make sure I understood him correctly.

He laughed.

"I wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole!"

I laughed with him. I was relieved_. 'He loves me! He really loves me!'_

I sighed lightly and then felt the familiar blush of blood in my cheeks. My cool demeanor was fading fast as my heart fluttered excitedly in my chest. He reached up and brushed a lone strand of black hair from my face, he fingertips grazed me cheekbone and sent another jut of pleasant shivers through my body. My mouth smiled without thought for the first time in ages. I leaned into him, my free hand lacing into his bronze hair and I kissed him!

The room was silent, but I felt an audience. Edward's lips left mine, but our foreheads remained together, lingering in the moment. I heard giggles coming from high above us on the 2nd floor. The lovely bells of sound bounced down from the top of the staircase to the main level. Edward smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, Alice. I know…" he murmured without looking away from me.

'_It is about time!' _I thought too.

* * *

**Please remember to review...if you have not yet. :) Thank you for reading. **


	31. Sweet Sixteen

Chapter 31 – Sweet Sixteen

Silver's POV:

**One year later exactly…**

It had been more than 4 years ago that Devan and I had joined the Cullen family. Each day was a blessing. I could not imagine a better life. I had a wonderful family who loved and protected me.

I had a loyal, sweet-natured boyfriend. My sister was happy in love as well. Life was good!

Edward and Devan were like sappy, love birds. Always flying off to be alone and play their music for one another. Devan said Edward was her heart song. It was so romantic. I was ecstatic for them!

Alice knew first. As usual! She had seen a similar vision to the one that Devan had and she agreed to keep Devan's secret. Alice was thrilled for our brother and Devan!

Edward was so much more pleasant this last year with Devan by his side than he had ever been. And I could tell for myself that Devan was for the better now that they finally came out to the family. She had come to life.

Alice never told Jasper about her vision, but he was able to feel something was up between Devan and Edward. Jasper said he had a hunch about Devan and Edward's love because when one was away from the other there was pain and sadness leering. Whenever he was in the same room with them he felt intense passion, but he hadn't been sure whom it was coming from and decided to stay out of it because Edward obviously was trying to keep it secret. I thought that was very considerate of Jasper. He must have been relieved when they came out because he said there was a weight lifted from his shoulder that he had be carrying for years.

Emmet was a horrible tease. He liked to make Devan blush at any chance he could. And she was not hard to manipulate. Practically at the whisper of Edward's name blood would rush to her face. Rosalie didn't like this. She thought that Edward was doing Devan a disservice by admitting his love for her. Although, she tolerated us, she still thought Devan and I didn't belong.

Carlisle and Esme had enough to deal with when I decided to date a werewolf. This was another challenge. They weren't sure what Edward and Devan being together meant, but were loving and supportive as usual. Esme was thrilled that Edward was happy again. And she also enjoyed seeing Devan so full of life. She was content if her children were content. Edward and Devan had her blessing right off the bat.

Carlisle was he usual, calm self. He accepted the relationship, but stressed caution. Both of our parents were, of course, happy for the two of us to find love at such a young age, but were concerned for what it meant for our future.

It was the one subject that no one liked to talk about. Immortality! Edward refused to talk about Devan becoming a vampire. He was dead set against it. Pun intended. And I was kind of lost in the same sense. Seth was immortal and wouldn't age so long as there were vampires present in his life. And I was not going anywhere and I was not leaving my family so he would remain 16 forever.

It was mine and Devan's 16th birthday today. I was now the same age physically as my immortal boyfriend. I worried that if I aged and he did not he would not want to be with me anymore. Seth assured me that was not true. I wasn't a werewolf, so my only other option for immortality was vampirism. And what would Seth make of me if I became a vampire? It was a real pickle!

We all repressed this topic day in and day out. No one wanted to make future plans. Alice and Devan weren't able to see ahead that far. Although, Devan saw herself with Edward every time she checked and for that she was satisfied.

So, we kept on living. We took each day at a time and tried to be happy in the present. That was all we could do. For now…

*

*

*

Alice, Jasper and Edward graduated from Fork High School this summer. Rosalie and Emmet were coming back from Dartmouth for the holidays. Or so they had everyone think. In reality they had gone up to a secluded little cabin in the Canadian Rockies for some quality 'alone' time and to hunt the vast wildlife that lives out there.

Today they were coming home and the whole family was going to be together again! I was thrilled about that. Rosalie wasn't my favorite person, but I loved my family. My whole family!

Seth was now a regular fixture in our lives. Vampires, Humans, and a werewolf made up our mixed group. Even though the smell was apparently not welcoming, all parties made out fine now with a little bit of tolerance. I couldn't see the fuss. They all smelled fine to me!

"They are almost here!" Devan exclaimed. She smiled at me. Her talent for seeing the immediate future was so good now she was nearly as fast as Alice at it.

"34 seconds!" Alice spoke up, competing with Devan playfully.

"33!" Devan called back.

"32!"

"31"

"Okay! Okay! We get it! No need for a play by play. 30 seconds and they will be here! Please stop counting down!" Edward pleaded. Devan was a bit more playful and fun since she and Edward began their relationship. Edward sometimes referred to us as the pixie triplets when we were acting hyper together. I couldn't help but giggle at his annoyance now.

"Actually, it would be about 28 now!" I quipped.

"27, technically," Edward corrected me. He had a superior judgment of time so it seemed. Alice and Devan both were lost in a trance. Alice snapped out first.

"42…they had to stop for a gaggle of geese," Alice chirped, beaming from ear to ear.

"They are crossing the road to get to the other side!" Devan sang, "A momma and 6 babies!" Her voice was high and lovely like it was meant to be. She was nearly as cheerful as Alice. I loved my sister like this. Finally alive!

"Aw…I can just see Emmet stopping for them. How sweet!" I cooed as I pictured a streamline family of birds crossing the road as Rosalie rolls her eyes at Emmet for stopping. Of course he would have a goofy, lovable grin on his face.

"Well, you 3 let me know how that turns out. I will be down to greet them in a few moments," Edward informed us with a smirk on his face. He got up to leave the room. Devan gently stroked his hand as he slipped by her. I saw her face pink up a bit and she bit her bottom lip. It made me anxious to see Seth.

We all decided to go down to the front doors to greet Rosalie and Emmet. By the time Devan and I got there Jasper and Alice, Esme and Carlisle, and Edward were waiting. I ran down the staircase and jumped the last several steps and then pranced my way over to them all. Devan watched her steps carefully and headed for Edward. _'I miss Seth'_ I thought as I stood there like the 7th wheel.

I decided to make use of the fact I was not linked to someone and I took off out the door and down to edge of the driveway. The big jeep came roaring up the drive at breaking speed and screeched to a halt. As it braked it did a half turn and parked perfectly in front of the house and only a few feet away from me. A swoosh of dust and air hit me in the aftermath.

"Nice!" I praised loudly, laughing a little at the scene. The jeep had just barely escaped running into me.

"Emmet!" Esme scolded as the family gathered behind me.

"Oh mom…I didn't hit her!" he whined as he jumped out of the vehicle.

"That was frickin' awesome, Em!" I told him and ran to him for a hug. He was still huge and stronger than he knew how to handle. I expelled air from my lungs but was now able to inhale. I tapped him three times with my finger and he let me go.

"Ooops," he said in a dopey, soft voice. I cracked up in a laugh as I gasped in the breath he had squished out of me.

"I missed you," I told him.

"I missed you too, Silly!" he said and he ruffled my hair. Emmet's nickname for me had sometimes been 'Silly'. I didn't mind it, but Rosalie's teeth gritted together every time she heard it.

"Watching Hockey Night without you is LAME!" I exclaimed. "I don't have the lungs capacity to really yell at the players like you do,"

"Tell me about it. Rose won't let me yell at the humans!"

"Act your age!" Rosalie grumbled as she appeared beside her husband. She was even more beautiful than I had remembered. Memories of her did not do her justice. She was flawless in real time.

"Oh, Rose!" I exclaimed and rushed into her and embraced her tightly, "How I have missed you too!" I was partly sarcastic, but some part of me did like to have the whole family around.

"Sure you did," she muttered. She stood as still as a board. I decided to let her go.

"No really…every family needs an antagonist. And you do such a stand up job!" I teased.

"Silver….enough," Carlisle's smooth voice warned me in the background. I smirked and stepped back the rest of the family could mingle.

"We've planned a birthday celebration for the twins," I heard Esme telling Rosalie.

"Oh brother!"

"We are doing things a bit differently this year," Esme corrected Rosalie's assumption. It was true that we were not having our regular hoopla this year. Alice was so disappointed she didn't get to decorate the main hall and organize our 'biggest birthday bash ever!' as she referred to it.

Even as Esme spoke, Alice's bottom lip curled up over her top one in a pout. He big eyes met mine for support. I shook my head. I had promised Devan we would not make a big deal out of this birthday. She didn't want to celebrate getting older because Edward was not aging. And truthfully, I was a bit sad over it as well.

*

*

*

We got Emmet and Rosalie settled in no time at all. I saw a few blurs of color fly from the jeep into the wood to the cabin and back in seconds and then they were done unpacking. They came out to join us as we headed out into the forest.

We had a nice day planned to go out to the clearing across the river. There was a little waterfall and lagoon area down below and a nice place to sit on the large rocks and have a picnic. Devan had insisted on it. She wanted this year's birthday to be family only. And even though I would miss the big party, I was pleased to get out of the house on such a lovely day.

Devan and I got dressed for the warm weather that we were having. July had brought humid air and a heavy fog that hid the sunshine, but the light still made everything bright and beautiful. **(Check out the twin's summer outfits by going to my profile)**

After a bit of poking and prodding of Devan I managed to get her into a turquoise sundress I had bought for sophomore graduation. I had changed my mind last minute and not worn it. Now it was a perfect occasion for Devan to put it to use. She only caved and put it on when I reminded her that Edward would like her in a dress. She took the hint and followed my orders.

I put on an Azzaro silk dress in soft greens and beige tones and accessorized with gold and peridot jewelry and a Marc Jacob's tote. It was a masterpiece. Alice was practically salivating venom as she saw me in it. She never wore anything that showed too much skin in the daylight in case the sun came out. She longed to be able to, though.

As we all started out to the clearing it became obvious that we would travel a lot faster if we ran. So I gladly jumped on Emmet for a ride. I encouraged Devan to do the same and Edward offered her his hand to lift her onto his back, but she refused and insisted on walking the whole way on her own two feet_. _

_'Poor Edward,'_ I thought. _'He must have the patience of a Saint to put up with her stubbornness!'_ Edward didn't mind. It would be a little bit of private time for the two of them on the way to the party.

I was not shy about piggy backing to the clearing to get there faster. I wore tiny, skintight, white shorts under my dress in case my dress wanted to fly up.

"Weeee!" I squeaked quietly as we came to a slower run and then a stop in the clearing. I patted Emmet's head and slid down. "Good boy!"

"Are you getting heavier?" Emmet tried his best to insult me.

"Nope! I think you are losing muscle mass in your old age, dude! You are not the young, spry vampire that you used to be!" I told him and stuck out my tongue.

"Why you little--" he went to grab me, but Esme coughed a not so subtle 'heh hem' noise and he put his hands behind his back.

"That is right…don't tamper with the human. I could keel over at the slightest missed flick of your hand. And then….no more Silver!"

"What a tragedy that would be," Rosalie shared her unneeded snarkiness without looking up from the magazine she was reading as she sat royally on the highest boulder in the area.

"Allright you two…cut the banter," Carlisle insisted, noticing that Esme was uncomfortable. I stuck my tongue out at Rosalie and then smiled. Rosalie hadn't seen it. Alice giggled and Jasper smiled as she did.

They were looking through some photos that Emmet had taken while they were away. I squished in beside Alice to get a peek. I laughed at the photograph that came up in Alice's hands. It was one of Emmet grinning widely and holding both his thumbs up in the air as he stood in front of a large sign that read 'Jasper National Park'.

"They have great bears out there! Fierce creatures!" Emmet explained as he peered over Jasper's shoulder.

"I heard the moose were really yummy," Alice inquired.

"Yep…but not a challenge," Emmet told her.

"They made an awful noise as they die as well," Rosalie added her take on hunting moose.

"Eee-uuu!" I spoke up, as the topic really began to sink in to my consciousness. I could just see this poor, helpless moose trapped in the teeth of beautiful Rosalie, begging for its life to no avail.

In unison, everyone jerked his or her heads up, breaking me from the gruesome scene in my mind. Emmet's faces grew disgruntled and he crinkled his nose.

"Seth!!" I exclaimed with glee, knowing that they could smell my boyfriend coming.

"Woo." Rosalie said in a flat tone. Esme smiled at my joy and Carlisle seemed pleased that Seth was turning out to be a very nice, yet mildly stinky, addition to the family. They liked him very much. Esme especially adored him.

"Hey!" Seth said as he jogged up from the dense woods. He looked tall and strong, but not bulky, like Emmet. I ran to him and he picked me up at my waist and twirled me around, my feet flying around us. Then I kissed him as we slowed and a slid down so my feet hit the solid earth again.

"Mmmm,"

"Happy Birthday," he whispered.

"Do you bathe, dog?" Rosalie snarled as she slid off the rock and landed softly on the grass. Her nose was sticking up in the air. We were all pretty good at ignoring her rude comments by now, but we played along because it annoyed her.

"Sure…sometimes…but I heard you were coming home today so I held of one more day," Seth offered her with a tiny grin. I leaned over to him, my left leg lifting in the air as I did so, and kissed him on the lips.

"That is repulsive," she sniped and faked a gag, "He reeks!"

"To me you all smell wonderful!" I sang, skipping to Rosalie. I sniffed her and said, "You smell like vanilla and roses…with a hint of sour grapes!"

"You smell like 0 negative!" she quipped back, parting her lips so I could see her white teeth. I smiled at her attempt to intimidate me.

"Rose," Emmet softly warned his wife. Rosalie closed her lips and stuck her head up in the air again. She couldn't stand seeing me happy. Or Devan for that matter! To Rosalie we humans had everything and we were all to willing to give it all up for our men. She didn't understand how much we loved them. That we would risk our lives for the ones we loved. She never had to make that choice. She was already a vampire when she met Emmet and saved him.

"I am going for a walk," she informed us with a snotty tone of voice and then she was gone. Wind ruffled my hair in her absence. I turned to Emmet and he smiled.

"You really shouldn't taunt her. She has a temper, you know," he warned me.

"I know. I like to fire her up, though. It is fun seeing her pretty face all snarled up like that! Beauty meets Beast!" I said with a sly grin. I pranced back to Seth and we settled down on a blanket set out on the soft ground. We were still waiting for Devan and Edward to arrive.

*

*

*

It had been nearly an hour of waiting and I was beginning to get anxious to eat before our egg salad sandwiches turned hazardous. '_Hurry up, Devan!'_ I ranted in my mind. Alice was looking a bit distraught. I poke my head in her face and asked her what was going on.

"Did she fall in a hole or something?" I joked, trying to cheer Alice up.

Alice didn't answer. She rubbed her head like it was hurting her. I reached out to her and touched her shoulder. Jasper held her close and whispered to her.

"What is it, Alice? What do you see?"

"I…I don't know. It is all white," she said softly, her eyes closed tightly. Now she had everyone's attention. She winced.

"Alice!" I gasped. She threw her head down in her hands and rocked lightly. I felt so useless.

"Try to come out of it, Alice. Block the visions," Carlisle suggested. He and Esme crouched down beside us. I looked back to Seth helplessly. He sympathized and spoke up.

"It is me, isn't it?"

"I can't see with you here," Alice moaned, "and I can't make them stop coming. It is all a bunch of white noise,"

"What can I do?" Seth asked, "Should I back away?"

"Maybe that would be a good idea," Carlisle agreed, nodding to my boyfriend to leave. It upset me, but I hated seeing Alice in so much pain. And obviously this was a vision that she needed to have and Seth being nearby was repressing it and hurting her to do so. Usually when he was near Alice would lose her sight, but it was never very hard for her to just ignore any visions that spontaneously came to her. Something was different right now. Urgent!

"I'll call you when it stops, okay," I whispered to him. He agreed and began to walk away without resentment. I watched him go, then I saw Rosalie sneering as he went out of sight into the dense woods towards La Push. I shot her a glare and then focused on Alice again.

"Any better yet?" I asked with a whimper. I had never seen Alice have a vision so strong before that she couldn't block it.

"I still see a fog," she mumbled, her eyes open now, but peering out into nothingness. We all were puzzled, but only for a moment. I felt the need to turn around and when I did my heart skipped a beat.

Swiftly moving swirls of dense, white gas swept the clearing as it reared towards our party. I tried to speak, but it hit me. It tangled over us all in one slick movement and seemed to linger and wrap around us. I coughed spastically as I tried to stand and wave it away from me. The others were in shock. They were all calling out to one another in panic and disarray.

"What is going on?" I asked desperately, trying to make sense of this strange change in the weather. It had been so lovely up until now.

"Silver!" Carlisle called out to me with panic in his usually calm voice. He stood right in front of me, but he seemed to look right through me.

"I am right here!" I told him, trying to calm him. He didn't seem to hear me.

"Carlisle?" Esme called out. Neither of my parents could see nor hear anything. Nor smell. They could have found me if they had their sense. But they seemed to lack them.

My heart began to thud in my chest as I glanced around to see that all my siblings were visibly impaired. They were in shock. They looked like frightened zombies. I didn't know what was going on, but it was awful! They continued to call out, hoping someone would answer.

"I am here. I am here!" I yelled back, but no one took comfort in my voice. No one heard me speak.

Carlisle spoke out to me, his rational side taking over again. His expression told me that I was in true danger.

"Silver, get out of here. If you can hear me, please obey me. Run and don't look back! Go! Go! Please!"

"I..I..can't," I began to answer, not wanting to leave me family. None of them could hear me. It was no use to argue so I began to run. The fog hadn't left me blind or deaf…it merely tasted thick and hot, like it was purposely trying to chock. I didn't look back. I did as Carlisle told me. I ran.

The fog was gone. It was all clear to me now. My throat burned as I sped away from the clearing. The trees flew by me as I ran. I had not gone far when Seth appeared in front of me. He was not alone. I slammed into him and the air expelled from my chest and I clung to him for support. I saw he was not alone. Leah and Jacob were with him.

"My family!" I blurted out with what little air I had in me.

"I know. We can smell the invaders. I have informed the others. The pack is on their way!" Seth told me. He pulled me off him and held me out so he could look at me when he spoke.

"Please," I cried. I had no tears, but my voice ached with pain. I was scared for my family._'I left them. Why did I leave them out there? I need to go back and warn them!'_

"Don't worry. We will help them," Seth assured me. He handed me to his sister. "Take her! Don't let her out of your sight, Leah!"

"Seth! Seth!" I said his name as Leah began to haul me away. "Don't hurt them. Don't let them hurt my family!"

"I won't. I will take care of our family, Silver!"

"Please Seth!" I begged. I didn't want him to go. "Please be careful!"

"I will. You have to leave now. I will come find you as soon as I can!" he told me and then he ran. He ran so fast I lost sight of him in moments. Leah took my hand and dragged me running in the opposite direction. I tried my best to keep pace with her. Eventually she was tugging me along and then she finally got fed up and threw me over her shoulder and ran me the rest of the way. I was surprised by her strength, but accepted it.

*

*

*

I had no idea what was going on. It was all a mass of white fog. We reached an old, abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere. Leah threw my down in a pile of hay once we were inside and she locked the door behind her. I clung to handfuls of hay desperately. I tried to make sense of what was happening. I couldn't seem to concentrate and I was losing my calm. I sprang up and tried for the door.

"Sit your ass down!" Leah yelled at me.

"I have to go help them!"

"You can't. You have to sit down and be quiet," she told me with a snarl. She always had disliked me. I hated that she was in charge of my safety now.

"I need to know if they are okay. I need to warn Devan!" I screamed, tears now free flowing from my squinted eyes. _'Devan!'_ I thought frantically._ 'She doesn't know!'_

"Jacob was going to find them. Don't worry," Leah's voice was more patient now that I was sitting still and obeying her.

"Seth," I whispered, thinking about him.

"He will be fine. He is strong. This is what we do, Silver!" she nearly spat at me.

"You know my family is different! They wouldn't hurt anyone," I whimpered.

"They are monsters," she told me firmly. She believed that.

"And you are?"

"I am human!"

"You are not only human. You are part animal. You are immortal. You have to see how much we all have in common! My family has not harmed a soul! It is not us that are your enemies!" I tried to reason with her. I was screaming so loudly my voice cracked and I chocked in a fit of coughing. She folded her arms on her chest and ignored my pleas.

My thoughts overtook me.

_'It is not us! It is not my family! It is other vampires!' _My mind raced. _'Seth smelled other vampires! The mist! That was from them. Alec!'_

"Alec!" I yelled out. _'Oh no! The Volturi know!'_ The thought made my cold and a chill ran up my spine. Leah looked stunned.

"What?

"NOOO!" I screamed out loud, bolting up again as my memories of the Volturi Clan came sweeping back to me. I had only heard stories and seen a few visions of them. I had been warned not to go in search of anything to do with them. This was Volturi! They had finally found us!

Leah held me away from the door, but I fought against her. I felt jolts of pain run trough my arms as I beat on her. She was so hard. So strong like Seth was. I lashed out to hurt her. To make her let me go, but I was no match. I was only hurting myself.

"Leah…we have to go help! Those vampires that are out there are evil! They came to kill my family. They are too stong! Too powerful! We have to warn the others!"

"The pack will handle it,"

"They don't understand. The Volturi are too powerful. They can't be defeated!"

"I am following orders. Sit down now! Or I will tie you down!"

"Leah!" I begged, collapsing in her arms. She allowed it. She hated me and I hated her, but she held me and let me weep. I made horrible, loud sobbing noises that I couldn't stifle. She just held me still and let me. I felt like a child.

After only minutes, I silenced myself and the tears ran dry from my eyes. Leah put me back down on the barn floor as the crumpled heap that I had become. She sat next to me, but she watched the door of the barn suspiciously. It wasn't until she sprang up, her body seemed to swell and her clothing tore off her as she morphed into a slightly smaller version of Seth's werewolf self that I knew I was in trouble.

I gawked at the sight. She was magnificent, but as I admired her beauty the barn door came flying inward and crashed against the cement floor. Leah went with it and I heard her yelp. My body tensed as the figure in the doorway singled me out and eyed me with glee.

"Ah…I thought I smelled you in her," his voice was cool. The vampire standing before me was white to the extreme with long, stings of oily, black hair hanging down his shoulders. His eyes were crimson red and didn't break from mine as I gazed back at him in complete horror.

"Aro," I managed to breathe out in a single puff of air.

"I am pleased you know of me. Carlisle was always a man who valued an education. Tell me, sweet one, what else do you know about me," he asked of me and he floated closer.

He walked so smoothly he literally glided. Leah growled and pounced on him again, her front leg wounded from the barn door landing on her. In one swift and easy movement Aro threw her down. And then she began to seize in pain. Her screams echoed the barn. She yelped and screeched as she writhed on the ground. A tiny, hooded figure stepped up behind Aro.

"Please stop!" I begged of her. I knew who she was immediately. She frightened me in nightmares so many times before. I had seen what she was capable of. I was watching this happen for real now and it was a million times worse than I had ever encounter before. Jane's angelic face was twisted in delight as she made Leah cry.

"Jane stop!" I belted out, standing up. She did. She looked at me with icy eyes and her lips curled. He foot lifted and she pounded it into Leah's right leg. It snapped and Leah screamed and tried to free herself.

"No…please. Jane, don't!" I begged of her. She stomped down on Leah's chest in a solid blow. Like twigs cracking, so was the sound of Leah's rig cage. I felt numb. Leah was no longer conscious.

"How dare you call me by name. You have no right!" Jane seethed at me.

I closed my eyes and waited for pain. When in didn't come I looked up and saw that she was now livid. Almost shaking in her rage. Aro held out a hand to stop her as she stepped towards me.

"No, Jane. Be patient. This one is interesting," he told her. She was outraged, but she followed her master's orders.

"I…I…" I stuttered.

"We are wondering the same thing. You seem to have quite the luck, little one," he patronized me. I looked to Leah quickly to see if she was okay. She panted and heaved as she remained on the floor. "You have a talent, like your sister, Alice. Am I correct?"

"That's right!" I spit out. My anger for him was blatant.

"That is how you knew of me then?"

"Yes," I said through grit teeth, "I know everything about you and your mafia of killers!"

Jane stepped out with a hand held high. Aro grabbed it in the air and she retreated again, not pleased about being reprimanded.

"Your gift is impressive for a human. Even I need contact to read someone. Come to me!" He instructed and stepped closer and reached for my hand. I am not sure how, but my hand made its way into his and he studied me. The faint smile on his lips grew. When he was done he let me go.

I stood in front of them, stiffly. Now he knew everything. About Devan and Edward. About the wolves! I was done for.

"Interesting...I can't read you,"

My mouth hung open in disbelief. It was how Edward was unable to read Devan's or my mind. I didn't know why, but we stumped them. _'Good!' _I rebelled in my mind. _'Take that Asshole!'_

"How is this possible?" Jane asked Aro. She was a surprised as I was by this news. Aro was the only one who wasn't bothered by anything that was going on.

"I am not sure, pet, but plans have changed," he spoke with pleasure lacing his tone. I felt him get closer. I was in real trouble.

"Please. I have a family,"

"You will have a new family," he told me as he drew me to him. I was unable to pull from his frigid hand.

"What good is she to us?" Jane inquired sharply, "We don't need her gift!" I yanked from him and began to fight back. It was like fighting Leah. I knew it was pointless, but I was not going down with out trying to save myself.

"Let me go!" I screamed at him as I flung around and pulled from him. It was like being locked in a vice. My hand would not budge from his.

"She will be powerful. Carlisle already has a psychic in his coven. This one is ours! And…." Aro explained to Jane with smiling, red eyes and his mouth dripping as I tried to fight against him, "With that kind of spirit she will make quite the little killer!"

"I would kill you first! You would be my first!" I screeched at him violently. My defiance only made him smile.

"Happy birthday, sweet one," he cooed as he came closer. I was unable to move in his tight grip.

And then I was silenced. The moment his teeth sunk into my jugular vein I felt the venom. It was worse than I had ever imagined it would be. The stories had not done justice to the real deal.

The pull of blood from my body was just as intense. The room went black and the last vision I had was of my family and I together, all happy. Devan and I human. That was in the past……

The End

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** Thank you for reading. The Sequel is called 'Out of Sight'  
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	32. Bonus: 'Monster'

Bonus- "Monster"

**Note: ****This is about Edward and Devan, so I have not put in other people's thoughts, etc....just you you know I have not forgotten Edward can read minds. I just hate to write him for this reason. Too much going on in his mind! Haha! Enjoy! It is better with just the two of them as the main focus anyway! ;)**

The Ambulance Ride in Chapter 26 'Slip Up' from Edward's POV:

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"Call for an ambulance!" a panicked voice called out.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" a higher pitched shriek rose from the swarming onlookers.

There was constant streams of voices running through my mind, but I was trying not to listen to them.

"Is she okay?" A close voice asked me as I nearly gagged on the thick scent of sweet blood. The sweetest I had ever had to resist. Isabella Swan was staring at me, doe eyed and pale.

"I don't know," I barely was able to choke out. I fought hard not to jump the poor girl and devourer her right then and there. It didn't matter that there were hundreds of people around watching. I was on the brink of losing everything my family had worked so hard for. I was about to spill blood!

Thankfully, Mike Newton, who I normally thought of as a preppy jerk, saved me from losing control. He took Isabella by the arms and ushered her away as a thicker crowd of less tempting smelling humans surrounded me. I was able to focus on what was most important.

_'Oh please, God. Please don't take her from me,'_ my mind reeled as I gazed down at my dear little sister's listless body. I could hear her breathing_. 'She is still breathing. I haven't killed her, thank God.' _The crowd of students began to form a circle around us. One that Isabella Swan was now absent from.

"Devan?" I asked in hoping she would hear me and open her stunning, violet eyes. Nothing happened. She remained still.

It seemed like eternity for the ambulance to arrive. And for an immortal being like myself that was a very long time to wait. It was excruciating. I had not felt pain in over a hundred years, but I felt it now. I was practically ill worrying about her. _'She has to live. I only just found her. I cannot lose her now!'_

The paramedics got her loaded and began assessing her, taking her vitals. They assured me that she was doing well.

No statistics could tell me she was all right. I needed her to wake up and see it for myself. My knowledge from retaining two medical school diplomas held no value compared to Carlisle's perfected practical experience in the field. I needed him to examine Devan personally and tell me that she was going to live and that there was no damage to her perfect existence.

I watched as the trees flew by and we headed to Forks Hospital. Alice had called Carlisle and he was waiting for us. _'I could have ran her to the hospital faster than this! What the hell is the driver doing up there?'_ I ranted internally as we moved the screaming rig through town. Then her body jolted and her hand tightened around mine.

I bent over her and hoped she could see me. Her eyes fluttered open and she seemed to recognize me for her lips bent upward a slant as she spoke.

"I love you," she breathed softly.

I felt warmth. Actual warmth! I knew that was impossible, but those words spoke to me. I couldn't help but smile. I was relieved that she was beginning to come around and was able to speak_. 'Does she know what she is saying?' _I wondered. My smile left, as I doubted her words. _'Surly, I am imagining this,'_

She began to look around a bit more and was agitated to find herself injured and in the back of an ambulance. She leaned forward, but I demanded she stay still. She obeyed me, but seems to resent doing so.

Her color was still very pallid.

"I love you, Edward," she repeated the words that stabbed at me like knifes.

_'What a cruel joke. She must have hit her head very hard. She is delirious. In shock, no doubt! She couldn't possibly love a monster. She doesn't know what she is saying,' _Thoughts ran through my mind making me dizzy. I looked out the window again to see if we were nearly at the hospital. When I gazed to Devan again she now seemed upset with me. I attempted to calm her with a kind smile.

"I love you," Devan uttered more clearly this time. Her eyes pierced me and I believed it! The words were like music to my ears. _'I love you too, my darling,' _I thought the words I was not allowed to speak. Something in her forceful confession made me smile again. She was determined she loved me!

I couldn't react. I w

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as not allowed to love her. She was a human._ 'A magnificent, human girl who deserves better than a freak like me. I will not let her love me. I have to protect her. I have to pretend…for her sake…that I do not feel for her.'_

Devan's heart began to thump erratically when I didn't respond.

"Devan, please relax. You hit your head," I told her and I laughed. I don't know why I laughed. It was inappropriate. She would not understand.

She was so strong. So beautifully stubborn. An angel. She had no idea how many lives she saved today.

No pain could be worse than this. My still heart ached in my silent chest. She saw right through me and she closed her eyes in anger. I had made my angel cry. I truly was a monster.

We reached the Emergency of Forks Hospital and Carlisle and his team ran a battery of tests on Devan and found she was only suffering from a mild concussion. She was going to be fine after a few days rest.

I was still in a state of shock. I had not being able to stop her from hurting herself. She ran out in front of a moving vehicle to save one life. And in doing that she saved me as well.

She saved me from taking an innocents life! I could just imagine all the frightened faces of our peers looking on as I sucked upon Isabella's bloodied corpse.

But that didn't happen.

Devan had saved us all. Our family was safe because of her act. And now she was lying in her hospital bed, bruised and sore. Hurt, because of her selfless deed. And I had hurt her the most.

I am a monster!

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**The sequel to 'The Seers' is called 'Out of Sight'. It is now complete as well and posted on my profile. Please take the time to read and review if you enjoyed this story! Thank you. :)**


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